


Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Everyone is HERE!

by CrashBandit450



Series: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate [1]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2019-10-16 07:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 22,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17545526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrashBandit450/pseuds/CrashBandit450
Summary: After the fourth Smash tournament had come to a close, Master Hand had sought to outdo himself, as he had done so for the last 11 years. Bringing back every fighter and then some seemed like a good way to do it. Slight AU after Chapter 15.





	1. Prologue: Musings of a Hand

**Author's Note:**

> So, as a big Nintendo fan, it should be no secret that I LOVE the Super Smash Bros. series. Upon seeing the "Everyone is Here!" reveal at E3 last year, I desperately wanted to write SOMETHING about the fighters, new and old, reuniting at the Smash Mansion after negotiations had been worked out. But now, with the final roster unveiled, I feel like this type of fic would work a lot better (DLC will be done as the lineup is revealed, and I'll only be doing skipped veterans and unique newcomers for individual chapters, so no Echo chapters), as we know who we're getting ahead of time. So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road!

In a dark void, Master Hand was reading reviews for the previous Super Smash Bros. tournament. The fourth Super Smash Bros. tournament had been the biggest one yet, introducing many new universes and bringing in many unexpected surprises shortly after the tournament had began. The return of Mewtwo, Lucas, and Roy were all welcome surprises, as they were veterans from the second and third tournaments that had been inexplicably skipped over for the roster selection in the following tournaments, and had been brought in once fan demand had been apparent... but, there were five new members of the Smash Family that had made waves with the Smashers, fans, and news outlets that covered the tournaments:

Mega Man, the legendary Blue Bomber who had repeatedly saved his world from the clutches of the nefarious Dr. Albert Wily time and time again.

Pac-Man, a world-recognized name who struck fear into the hearts of ghosts everywhere.

Ryu, the Wandering Warrior, who had simply sought out a challenge, and saw the Smash Bros. tournament as a great fit for that.

Cloud Strife, the oft-discussed ex-SOLDIER member, who, while theorized as the most unlikely of fighters to join due to his lone wolf nature, had received his invitation personally from the Hand himself, a first among all Smashers.

And Bayonetta, the risque Umbra Witch who had twice saved her world from corrupt angels.

All of these newcomers had been mostly well-received by the above parties, but the tournament had still received several complaints:

"What happened to the Ice Climbers?"

"It's not as fast as the second tournament!"

"Is Snake gone for good?"

"Why is the scenery so limited?"

"Bayonetta possesses a clear advantage over every fighter here, why was she allowed to participate?"

"Where the heck is Wolf?"

"Where are the flashy combos?"

The Hand had read through those complaints for numerous days after the tournament had wrapped six months ago, and ultimately decided to address each and every one of them. The first priority? Find every single fighter who had ever participated in a Smash tournament, and bring them all back for one heck of a tournament, one that they would all be sure to remember. Of course, some newcomers wouldn't hurt as well...

And Master Hand had just the idea of who he would go and retrieve first...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? Leave a comment if you wish, as feedback is always welcome!


	2. The Bone-Chilling Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Hand begins the long and difficult task of approaching returning veterans with Popo and Nana, the duo known as the Ice Climbers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To preface this:
> 
> \- Popo and Nana aren't related, instead having dated since the Brawl tournament.
> 
> \- Subspace screwed up some of the vets VERY badly, though this isn't the story that delves into it.

"Hup!"

"C'mon, Popo, we're almost there!"

"We're still going on that date after this, right?"

"Of course, silly! Now climb!"

Popo and Nana, better known as the Ice Climbers, were approaching the summit of the once-thought insurmountable Icicle Mountain. Along the way, they had managed to collect several baskets of vegetables and some fresh meat for safekeeping (they  _did_ need to generate some income, after all, as it was impossible to grow food in their village, and the mountains contained game that was infinitely more profitable than the rabbits down in the forests). Soon, they had reached the very top of the mountain, with Popo collapsing in a heap due to him carrying the various foodstuffs they had collected.

"No mountain is tough enough for this bone-chilling duo!" Nana exclaimed as she planted their flags into the ice.

"Hah... hah... that's great, Nana. You still have that Condor Caller?"

* * *

With their pockets now filled with gold coins, and their baskets lighter than what they used to be, Popo and Nana went back to their shared cottage in the Glacial Village.

"That was fun, Popo! What mountain do you think we should go to next time? Popo?"

Popo, having sat quietly on his beanbag, was slowly tearing up looking at an old photo.

"What're you so upset abou-" Popo turned around and showed her what the picture was, and Nana immediately understood why he was so upset.

It was a picture of them with the rest of the fighters from the third Smash tournament after they had resolved that debacle in Subspace. Mario, always the optimist, had taken the picture, in the hopes that "they would share those bonds forever."

It had been three long years since that day.

Nana remembered the day that Popo had come back from the post office with that letter that said that they had not qualified for the fourth tournament. Popo, who made many friends at both the second and third tournaments, was downright inconsolable for the next week.

She then tried to console him, saying, "Popo, it's okay. They probably still remember us, and we might be back for a fifth tournament if they have one."

Before Popo could say anything, however, someone knocked on their door. Rubbing his eyes, Popo went to go and answer, and when he did, he blanched at who he saw at the door.

He saw a large right hand, clad entirely in white, that was holding a suitcase emblazoned with a circle with a thick vertical slash a little to the left, and a thin horizontal line towards the bottom. Master Hand boomed out, "Popo! Nana! It's been far too long! May I come in?

Popo meekly stammered out, "Y-y-yes, Mr. Hand."

After a flush of the toilet, Nana walked out, asking, "Popo, who's at the do-"

She stopped in shock at the sight of Master Hand, someone she had not seen in three years, floating right next to her boyfriend, who had gone white with shock.

"My apologies, Nana. How about we discuss my sudden appearance over... there?" Master Hand said as he snapped his fingers, creating a decently-sized table for her, Popo, and the disembodied hand to sit (or, in Master Hand's case, float).

* * *

"So, as you may know, now I only visit fighters when I begin the fighter selection process for a new tournament. I consider it common courtesy to personally hand-deliver these invitations to who I want to be in the Smash tournament, as these fighters have rightfully earned their spot. Everyone else from the previous tournament has been secured."

Popo, who had seemed to finally find his voice, said, "B-but why are you visiting now?"

Master Hand gave off his signature booming laugh, and gave Popo an envelope from his suitcase, saying, "Popo, Nana, welcome back."

Master Hand then vanished, emitting off a small flicker of light which turned their table back to normal.

Nana was the first to speak, saying, "Well, this is exciting! We're finally back in! Popo, how're you feeling?"

Popo instead tackled Nana into a big hug and gave her a kiss, before saying, "We gotta start packing now! They're expecting us by December 7! That's less than a month from now! WE'RE FINALLY GOING BACK, BABY! WOO-HOO!"

As Popo ran excitedly ran around the house, grabbing their spare parkas, their Squall Hammers, and various other items, Nana could only chuckle at seeing him with such exuberance, before going to the fridge to pack rations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, a timeline:
> 
> \- Smash 64 lasted one year with another year's gap between that and Melee. Melee lasted two years, with a two year gap between that and Brawl, which went on for one year. The Subspace Incident happened immediately after Brawl, having dragged on for a full year. Smash 4 lasted for two years after a year between it and Brawl, and the gap between 4 and Ultimate was six months.


	3. Wants to Be the Very Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years without Charizard had left Red with a bad taste in his mouth regarding the Super Smash Bros. tournament, especially with the Subspace Incident four years prior.

"Venusaur, use Petal Blizzard!"

Blue's Venusaur wrapped itself in a storm of razor-sharp petals, and barreled straight towards Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Ice Beam, now!"

Squirtle then breathed out a beam of freezing cold onto the ground, icing the floor of the Viridian City Gym, which caused Venusaur to lose her balance, and the Petal Blizzard dissipated. Squirtle then started to skate around Venusaur, using Ice Beam to freeze its legs onto the ground. After several rounds, Venusaur was rendered completely immobile.

"Finish it, Squirtle! Use Dragon Pulse!"

Squirtle began to prepare his  _coup de grâce_ ; a massive, multicolored ball of energy which began to form in his maw, ready to fi-

"Okay! Stop!"

Red motioned for Squirtle to stop the attack, and the energy building in Squirtle's mouth disappeared. Blue returned his Venusaur, and then stepped to the other side of the battlefield to shake his former rival's hand.

"Y'know, despite your baffling decision to not evolve your Squirtle, you're still as good as always, Red! I've always wondered, though, what ever happened to your Charizard? I haven't seen him in three ye-"

Red had heard enough, as the mere mention of his Charizard melted the smile off face, and he began to tense up, saying, "Blue, thanks for the battle today, but I need to go."

"Aw, c'mon, Red, what happened-"

"That's enough from you. I want to leave."

"But Red-"

"Not. Another. Word." And with that, Red ran out of the Viridian Gym, returning Squirtle as he left.

* * *

Red sat at the entrance of Cerulean Cave, eating the lunch his mother had packed for him, trying to forget about that fateful day three years ago...

* * *

_"But why?! Why can't you find another Charizard? I know that there's plenty of them in the Charicific Valley in Johto, why don't you go there and find a Charizard instead?" Red said, desperately trying to dissuade Master Hand from taking his Charizard._

_Master Hand shook a finger in an almost sad manner, saying, "Alas, Red, you said it yourself, your Charizard's been raring for a fight lately."_

_"But the Silver Conference is in three months! Surely you can find another Charizard for your tournament, I'm sure that there are other Charizard willing to sign up! We've been training for the Silver Conference for the past six months, you can't just take that away from us like that! We're a team!"_

_"But, Red, your Charizard was the only one of its brethren brave enough to venture into Subspace to save the others during the third tournament, and I want to reward that kind of bravery. Why don't we leave it up for him to decide?"_

_Red reluctantly called out Charizard, who had heard the entire conversation inside his capsule._

_"So, Charizard, I've heard that you've been desiring a fight lately. Why don't you join the fourth Smash tournament? I've managed to recruit plenty of new fighters, and I even managed to find a Pokémon from the region of Kalos! The name of his species is Greninja, if I remember correctly. So, what do you say?"_

_"Charizard, I know it sounds selfish, but please stay with me! The Silver Conference is coming up, and I want to win it as a team! You, me, Squirtle, and Ivysaur, together forever, remember?" Red's voice had come close to breaking as he said those words._

_Charizard looked to his trainer, and then towards Master Hand, and reluctantly made his decision._

_He reached for the envelope that the white hand had so gingerly held throughout the exchange._

_Red, after a moment of shock, said, "Fine. If that's what you want, then I'm okay. Good luck, Charizard."_

_Master Hand then said, "I'm going to need his Poké Ball, too."_

_Red, after a moment of hesitation, reluctantly handed it over._

_"Before you leave with Charizard, promise me one thing. I understand that you are capable of translating Pokémon speech, right?"  
_

_"Yes."_

_"Promise me that you will write me a letter regarding Charizard's status and how he feels at least once a week."_

_"Consider it done."_

_It was a promise that would not be fulfilled._

_Red spent three whole years in radio silence regarding his Charizard._

* * *

When Red snapped back to the present, he immediately noticed that his cheeks were wet with tears, and that it was close to sunset already. Had he really reminisced for that long?

Before he could dwell any further, however, a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Red!"

It was Leaf, another one of Red's childhood friends.

"Red! Where are you? Your mother asked me to look for you, she's been worried sick all day!"

It was that moment that Red decided to show himself.

"Red-! Oh, wow, you don't look well. What happened?" Leaf's tone immediately switched to one of concern.

"I miss Charizard." That was all Red could choke out before he risked a complete emotional breakdown.

" _Oh_ , Red. I'm so sorry that I completely forgot about that. Say, how about we walk back to Pallet Town? I just finished shopping at the Celadon Department Store, can you believe they're now selling Litten Poké Dolls in addition to-"

Red didn't need to hear about what Leaf had gotten from her bi-weekly shopping trips, so he just tuned out most of what she was saying, and only nodded occasionally as they walked back home.

* * *

As Red and Leaf made their way through the tall grass on Route 2, the two of them saw a bright, rainbow-colored light appear in front of them, scaring away the nearby wild Pokémon. And out of the light came the last thing Red had wanted to see: Master Hand, carrying an envelope, a Poké Ball, and a briefcase on top of all that.

"Listen, Red, I understand if you don't want to talk right now-"

"Save it."

"Red-"

"That's enough."

"Red, please, listen to me! I have Charizard's Poké Ball right here!"

"Don't ever come near me- wait, you have his Poké Ball?"

Master Hand gave the closest thing he could to a nod, and gently passed the white and red capsule over to Red, who gingerly took it as if it would shatter if it was so much as looked at incorrectly.

With his heart in his throat, Red pushed the button on the little ball.

Charizard materialized in a blue flash of light and let out a mighty roar.

Red, absolutely awestruck, whispered, "Charizard..."

It was at that moment that both trainer and Pokémon embraced each other, tears freely streaming down their faces.

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

Charizard growled as if it had a lump of fur in its throat, which Master Hand had translated as pretty much the same thing Red had said.

It was at that moment that Red remembered that the Hand was still there. His voice shaky, he said, "Now go. I'd prefer if you never showed yourself to me ever again."

Master Hand, now on the defensive, said, "Red, please, I apologize for not keeping your promise, I was busy regarding paperwork, and there was also another incident that Charizard was there to witness that put me out of commission for quite a while."

Charizard rumbled in agreement.

Red, after a moment's thought, said, "Fine. What have you come to me for, other than to give me back my Charizard?"

Master Hand said, "Well, we've began the recruiting process for the next Super Smash Bros. tournament, and since all veterans of the previous tournament have already had their paperwork signed, I've been going around to find everyone who's participated in a previous tournament, and that includes you, Red. Popo and Nana have already received their formal notice."

"If it's anything like what happened back at the tournament when I was there, then you can take that letter and shove it right up your-"

"No, no! We've managed to wipe out the last traces of Shadow Bugs from Mr. Game & Watch's body, so that is no longer an issue. Please, just take a look inside the envelope. You may like what you see."

Red looked through the letter, silently reading it, and once he finished, he looked at Master Hand, and said, "Fine. One more chance."

Master Hand's demeanor considerably brightened, and he said, "Great, also tell your friend that she's allowed to participate, but that I'm going to have to make her Pokémon the same as yours."

Red relayed the news to Leaf, who nodded and said, "Do what you must."

Master Hand snapped his fingers, and when Leaf sent out her Pokémon, they were now a Squirtle, an Ivysaur, and a Charizard.

As he began to glow, Master Hand said to Red, "And one more thing: I'm truly sorry for any emotional pain I may have caused you in the last three years."

And with that, the large white glove had vanished. Red looked back at Charizard making up for lost time with Squirtle and Ivysaur, and he gave off a small smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red was someone I always imagined would have trouble trying to shake off Subspace's horrors, what with him fainting in the hands of a robot that was about to kill him and Lucas in an attempted suicide bombing...


	4. The Pint-Sized Lightning Bolt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pichu, roaming about the Ilex Forest without a care in the world, will come to take on a mantle that her father prided himself on...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snake gets the last veteran chapter purely because of the sheer shock of his reveal.

Pichu happily bounded across the grassy floor of the Ilex Forest, Everstone tied across her neck, as she searched for a tasty Berry to snack on. Ever since she had run away from the Route 34 Day Care, she had begun to take an interest in human outfits, so she frequented the Goldenrod Department Store to retrieve what she needed. So far, she had pilfered a Focus Band, a bouquet of Gracidea flowers, a red cloth, and some black and blue fabric, all of which accompanied the goggles she already owned in her small little tree stump in the heart of the Ilex Forest.

After she had found her desired treat, a Razz Berry, she sat down and began to knit with her sewing kit, which was also stolen from Goldenrod City.

It was a simple life, one that reminded her of the delinquents of Team Skull in her home of Melemele Island…

* * *

Master Hand, now assuming a temporary human disguise, was talking to the Day Care Man regarding recent patrons of their humble abode.

"Excuse me, have you seen a Pichu around here?"

The old man thought about it, before saying, "Well, we did remember agreeing to raise an Alolan trainer's Pichu. I think he came from Hau'oli City? But that rascal ran off into the Ilex Forest last week, and we haven't seen her since. I wonder what she could possibly be doing, the Ilex Forest is filled with dangerous Pokémon."

"Well, I could return this Pichu to you. Do you remember anything distinct about her?"

"You will? Thank you so much, kind sir! As for unique traits, she always wore a pair of swimming goggles, and I believe her left ear had some spikes at the top, but I could be imagining things…"

As the old man continued his musings about the Pichu, Master Hand had already slipped past the Ilex Forest checkpoint, and had begun to search the forest for Pichu.

Taking off the sunglasses that maintained his disguise, Master Hand reverted to his original form. The Swarm that resided inside his glove bubbled, but he managed to suppress it. That incident would never happen again, he had made sure of it towards the end of the fourth tournament.

Now walking on two fingers to ensure maximum stealth, Master Hand walked around the forest, before stopping by what he presumed to be Celebi's Shrine after he heard a rustle in the trees.

Now, there were two possibilities; either the Pokémon in the tree was indeed Pichu, and he could end the search right then and there, or the Pokémon would  _not_  be Pichu, and he would have to put even more effort into his search.

Master Hand flicked the tree with his index finger, and lo and behold, a Pichu wearing goggles fell out of the tree.

Before Master Hand was able to say anything, however, Pichu retaliated with an electric shock before running away.

After extinguishing the small smolders on his glove so that he wouldn't spark a forest fire, Master Hand then followed in hot pursuit of Pichu.

* * *

After about five hours, Master Hand, now utterly exhausted due to Pichu constantly electrocuting him whenever he found her, had begun to take on the gait of his less-than-stable brother. He heard light snoring around a corner, and immediately realized it was Pichu, judging by how light the sounds were.

Pichu had apparently gotten much better at handling the sheer raw power of its electricity in the seven years that had gone by since her hatching, but she still hadn't quite perfected it, as she was still suffering the side effects from completely burning up her electrical output in her efforts to evade the hand.

Master Hand snapped his fingers, and Pichu was encased in a small cage of light.

The snap had awoken Pichu, who then immediately tried to bolt out of there, only to realize that she wasn't moving. At all.

"Trick Room. It's also the only way I can actually keep you in one place, because this is a very important conversation we're going to have, Pichu."

"Pi, pichu? Chu pichu pi, pi pi pichu?"  _("Wait, why? Who are you, and why are you here?)_

Master Hand simply palmed the ground.

"Pichu, let me ask: Are you familiar with the Super Smash Bros. tournaments?"

"Pichu! Pichu pi, pi pichu chu! Chu pichu pi…"  _("Yeah, actually! My dad in Alola told me about how exciting it was to meet all of these weird people! He's a Raichu now, so he understands that he's incapable of returning for any future tournaments…")_

Master Hand then made a grand gesture before pointing at Pichu, booming out, "Well then, Pichu! I have come to ask you this question! How would YOU like to uphold your family's legacy, and be the new Pichu for this iteration of the Super Smash Bros. tournament?"

"Pi! Pichu, pichu, pi pichu chu pi!"  _("Yes! I would love to attend this tournament that my father has spoken so much about! If he's right, I do get to see a Mewtwo! I thought that that would never be something I could see with my own two eyes!")_

Master Hand simply chuckled, handing Pichu an envelope from his suitcase, finishing with, "Welcome back, Pichu... technically, at least."

The hand then vanished into thin air.

Pichu began to excitedly pack all of her Berries and clothing articles into a large sack, before making her way to Goldenrod City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I doubt that a wild Pichu would willingly stay as a Pichu for seven freaking years, so that's why I'm regarding Melee Pichu and Ultimate Pichu as different, but still the same.
> 
> And yes, I'm perfectly aware that Pichu's flower isn't the Gracidea flower.


	5. The Hero of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Link, having some spare time, invites Princess Zelda to a picnic. Meanwhile, Master Hand continues looking for veterans that missed out on a tournament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Young Link's 14.
> 
> \- Zelda's visions have gotten significantly more positive since OoT Ganondorf was already brought back for the tournament.

Zelda, carrying a basket, had arrived at the destination Link had told her to come to for their monthly picnic. As she looked around, she smiled, quietly approving of his decision.

Turns out, the location was a nice, crystal clear lake near the Lon Lon Ranch that Link frequented, with a big tree for shade.

As she lay the cloth down on the grass, Zelda heard a rustle from up above.

Rolling her eyes, Zelda simply shook the tree with Farore's Wind, and she heard an indignant yell from high up getting louder and closer.

Zelda then immediately sidestepped the oncoming Hero of Time, who landed on the cloth with a loud thud. As he rose unsteadily, Zelda let out a small giggle.

"Was that really necessary?"

Still laughing, Zelda replied, "Well, yes, it was absolutely necessary. Don't think I don't know all of your tricks, Link. That Deku Mask trick was the  _very first one_ you pulled on me, for Hylia's sake! Now, to our lunch…"

The picnic basket was completely filled with Lon Lon Milk instead of the foods she had packed. Zelda looked at Link with a scowl, while he had on a guise of complete innocence.

"I could've sworn I packed a Hylian hero in here-" Before she could finish her sentence, however, she heard an audible crunch from where Link was standing.

Facepalming, Zelda said, "This is why we only do this once a month…"

Swallowing his food, Link said, "Cheer up, Princess, at least we don't have to deal with Ganondorf anymore, you told me, remember?"

Zelda gave a slow nod. Over the last month, her visions had gotten infinitely more pleasant, with the Gerudo King's presence in them slowly diminishing, until last week, where her vision had no presence of him at all, instead showing her being crowned as Queen, with Link as her-

Zelda turned crimson before she finished that train of thought.

Noticing, Link asked, "What's the matter, Princess?"

Her voice now small, Zelda said, "Oh, nothing. Now how about you just return me the food, and we can have the picnic go on as we planned?"

Giving a confused nod, Link gave Zelda all the food with the exception of the hero he had taken a bite into, and their lunch got off without any further complications.

* * *

Master Hand, now under his human disguise once again, started belting out curses that he hadn't since the Master Core Incident as a flock of Cuccos swarmed him and pecked at every bit of exposed flesh (which wasn't easy, given that he was wearing a trenchcoat and gloves), which turned out to be his face. He had accidentally stepped on one as he was asking for the whereabouts of the Hero of Time at a local farm, and now the entire flock had jumped on him.

In a panic, Master Hand ran into a nearby forest, where unbeknownst to him, Link and Zelda were having their picnic.

Link, while taking a swig of his third bottle of Lon Lon Milk, heard a nearby commotion that sounded like a whole flock of Cuccos had decided to gang up on some poor unsuspecting Hylian.

Said man ran up to the lake they were sitting near and jumped in in a last-ditch effort to escape to swarm of angry poultry.

As it was an incredibly absurd sight, both Link and Zelda were laughing as they went to go and retrieve the man from the lake. Link shot his Hookshot into the water, and received a tug. Both Link and Zelda heaved with all of their might, and a man wearing clothes Link had never seen in Hyrule flew out of the lake.

* * *

As Master Hand began to wring out his fedora, he heard a voice behind him say, "Excuse me, sir, are you okay? Those Cuccos must've really caught you off guard."

Master Hand replied, "Yes, Link, I'm alright, thank you very much." He then mentally slapped himself in the realization that he had never asked for their names.

Zelda got suspicious, asking, "Wait, we never told you our names. How do you know his?"

Meanwhile, Link decided to look at the briefcase that Master Hand had dropped in the ensuing chaos with the Cuccos, and on said briefcase, he found a symbol that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hmm… this symbol… why do I have the feeling that I've seen this before?"

Master Hand then realized his gig was up, and said, "I suppose I must reveal my true form now…"

As the mysterious man took off what covered his eyes, he emitted a bright white light that Link and Zelda shielded their eyes from.

When the light faded, Link looked on in absolute shock, while Zelda looked at what she saw with utter confusion.

Master Hand, now in his true form, pointed at the teenager clad in green, saying, "Link. It's been about, hmm, 7 years since we've last seen each other, hasn't it? How come you don't look any different?"

Before Link could answer, however, Master Hand then pointed to Zelda, saying, "And you, Princess Zelda of Hyrule. I know why your visions do not feature the King of Evil, as it has been my doing."

It was Zelda's turn to blanch. This hand was single-handedly responsible for ridding their realm of the Gerudo King?

Master Hand then said, "Link, or rather, Young Link, the reason I have shown myself to you is because there is a fifth Super Smash Bros. tournament coming soon. I, in an effort to top the last one, have decided that every fighter from all previous tournaments will be coming back."

Master Hand then pulled out Link's invitation from his suitcase, saying, "Young Link, welcome back. You may leave for the tournament as early as you wish." Snapping his fingers, Master Hand vanished.

Link took the letter in utter befuddlement and read it, muttering in utter befuddlement, " _Three_  versions of me, both from the future?"

Turning to Zelda, having made up his mind, he said, "Princess, I regret to inform you that I will be leaving Hyrule very soon to attend this tournament that the hand is talking about."

Zelda, taken aback, said, "As you wish, Link, goodbye and good luck. I'll always be thinking of you until you return."

Realizing she had this last opportunity to say goodbye to Link, she then wrapped him in a hug before planting a tiny kiss on his cheek, whispering, "I love you. I always have. Now, go, my hero."

As Link left with a massive blush on his face, Zelda, wearing a watery smile, began to pack up what remained of their picnic, and departed for Hyrule Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ocarina of Time Zelink (specifically their younger selves) is one of my favorite incarnations of the ship.


	6. The Silver Space Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Wolf lives as a wanted criminal, Master Hand is currently sweeping the Lylat system in search of the former leader of Star Wolf.

Wolf O'Donnell, the former leader of Star Wolf, snarled as he stalked through the lush jungles of Fortuna. Of all the places he could've chosen to hide, it actually wasn't a bad choice. Corneria was far too risky on the off-chance that someone would recognize him, Fichina, Titania, and Venom were uninhabitable, in addition to Fichina being incredibly far away in the Lylat system, and Macbeth had been raided by the Cornerian Army to wipe out the last traces of Andross' influence.

Not only that, when he had found a planet that _was_ decently populated, to his shock, it was also infested by large cybernetic insects called the Aparoids. Wolf had barely escaped the planet with his head still on his shoulders.

As Wolf slunk his way through the jungle, he found a rather large game bird standing near a tree, blankly contemplating its current life.

Wolf unholstered his Blaster, slowly took aim, and then fired three successive shots, nearly depleting the energy cartridge in his firearm. As the bird stood stunned, Wolf ran up to the bird, and stabbed it numerous times with the bayonet on the end of his pistol.

The bird was dead before it had touched the floor.

Licking his chops in anticipation of an actual meal for the first time in two weeks, Wolf hauled the bird onto his shoulders and walked back to his camp.

* * *

Master Hand had scoured nearly every planet on the system, with the exceptions of Venom and Fortuna, as he had sensed that Venom had no lifeforms on it anymore, and he simply hadn't checked Fortuna yet. The former leader of the Star Wolf team had mysteriously vanished without a trace.

Balling his fist in frustration, Master Hand then decided to check Fortuna, and he barely caught the signature of Wolf's Wolfen ship.

Deciding that Fortuna was the best shot he had at finding Wolf, Master Hand descended through the atmosphere of the jungle planet.

* * *

Nighttime had arrived on Fortuna. Wolf knew that Fortuna was home to many nocturnal predators, which, to his relief, did not include the Aparoids he had encountered three months ago.

As he finally finished roasting the bird that he had caught earlier, Wolf caught sight of what appeared to be a meteor descending through the forest.

The meteor landed on Fortuna with a resounding crash.

Much to Wolf's confusion, however, he did not smell any signs of a wildfire, which would have been the most likely outcome with a meteor landing on a jungle planet. Now suspicious, Wolf, with his massive skewer of food, entered his Wolfen, transformed it into its land-based Hunter form, and set coordinates to where the thermal radar sensed the most heat. The vulpine robot let out a metallic sounding howl before bounding to its set destination.

* * *

Groaning, Master Hand rose up from the massive crater he had left in the ground. Much to his relief and confusion, he had implanted a deep enough print into the ground to prevent a fire from starting.

As he regained his bearings, Master Hand then reached out for Wolf's signature. Much to his excitement, the signature was getting closer. Master Hand then heard the shout of "Lightning Tornado!"

The Hunter vehicle barreled into Master Hand's line of sight, and then immediately skidded to a halt. Wolf jumped out of the vehicle, and pointed his Blaster at Master Hand, snarling, "What do  _you_ want?"

Master Hand, now holding his briefcase in front of him, said, "Wolf, what a surprise! I'd imagine you'd be on Corneria instead of whatever this place is supposed to be..."

Taking a large bite out of his meal, Wolf said, "Well, being a wanted criminal by the Cornerian government doesn't exactly give you many places to hide, you know. Anyone could be waiting to turn me in for that bounty."

Master Hand, now seeing an opportunity, said, "You know, I could solve that problem for you. Just listen to my conditions first."

"Carry on..."

"You remember the Super Smash Brothers tournament, right?"

"What, that silly game I arrived late for?"

"Yes. The fifth tournament will be beginning in a month, and we will be bringing everyone back. That includes you, Wolf."

Wolf, now contemplating his options, asked, "Wasn't the tournament I went to last time a live broadcast?"

"Yes, yes it was."

Wolf, upon that realization, snarled, "I had the Cornerian government on my back for  _two years_ because of that! You think I want to return to that?!"

Master Hand, alarmed by his sudden outburst, said, "But I haven't stated your conditions yet!"

"To  _hell_ with your conditions! I'm not going!"

Master Hand, now losing his cool, said, "I'll pull some strings to clear your name, how about that?"

That stopped Wolf's rant right then and there. "I... can go free?"

Master Hand nodded to the best of his ability, continuing with, "The Cornerian government will forget that you were ever a wanted criminal. Instead, they'll remember that you assisted the Star Fox team in saving the Lylat system from those insects you discovered on that one planet."

Wolf's eyepatch almost fell off at that. He knew about the Aparoids? Regaining his composure, he asked, "...I still get to fight the Star Fox team, yes?"

Master Hand nodded.

Wolf, now bearing a toothy smile, said, "I'm in."

Master Hand then pulled out one of his last veteran envelopes, saying, "Wolf O'Donnell, welcome back. For you, I'd recommend going to the Mansion as fast as possible."

Snapping his fingers, Master Hand opened a dark vortex. On the other side, Wolf could make out something that resembled... a commute system? Shrugging, Wolf stepped through the portal.

Master Hand snapped his fingers again, and the Wolfen/Hunter hybrid vanished, as it was currently being teleported into the Fighter Garage.

"Now there's the challenge of Snake... what could he be doing right now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn't made apparent, then the events of Assault and Adventures were pushed up into the Star Fox Zero timeline.


	7. The Legendary Mercenary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David Plissken, better known by his codename of Solid Snake, lived longer than what his initial deadline had said after his final mission. Master Hand, down to his last veteran, is now searching for the aged stealth operative.

David Plissken, better known by his codename of Solid Snake, had pulled out his SOCOM pistol and began to open fire on his targets. When he had finally run out of rounds, he took a step back and admired his handiwork.

12 bullseye targets, smoking in the snow, had all been pierced right in the center.

Rolling his eyes, Snake reached for a pack of cigarettes... only to remember that he had kicked the habit cold turkey after his father's death. Snake then stalked back towards the city, while unbeknownst to him, a mysterious figure watched from behind the trees.

* * *

"C'mon, Papa! Let's take the Metal Gear Mk. IV for a test run!"

Sunny Emmerich, now fourteen years old, was asking her adopted father if she could play with his latest upgrade to the mini Metal Gear he had made for Snake during the Guns of the Patriots Incident.

Hal Emmerich, better known as Otacon, simply shook his head, saying, "Sorry, dear. It's just not completely ready yet."

Sunny gave off a small nod, and went back to dissecting the Nintendo GameCube Otacon had gotten her for her ninth birthday.

Hal then looked at the picture of Naomi that he kept on his person at all times, and smiled wistfully. What he wouldn't have given to spend the rest of his days with her, Snake, and Sunny by his side...

* * *

Snake, after a small hassle regarding the last box of strawberries in the store, had finished shopping for the groceries that they would cook dinner with. Turns out, he had kept his father's penchant for trying new foods.

As he began the trek back to the small house that he, Sunny, and Otacon shared, Snake began to have the suspicious feeling that he was being followed. Snapping his head back, he looked behind him, only to find out that no one was there.

Attempting to shake off those thoughts, Snake continued back towards his house at 7801 Dover Avenue.

* * *

Master Hand breathed a small sigh of relief that his cover had not been blown. He had caught wind of the Guns of the Patriots incident, and he had even seen the ruined base on Shadow Moses Island in his search for the former member of FOXHOUND, with the decaying remains of Metal Gear REX and RAY, along with several dozen destroyed Gekkos, in plain sight.

Master Hand then continued to trail Snake, only this time he remained at a further distance than he had been last time.

* * *

Snake opened the door, yelling, "Otacon, Sunny, I'm home! Where are you tw- oof!"

Sunny tackled him in a hug, exclaiming, "Mr. Snake! You're back! Papa completed his new robot!"

Snake raised an eyebrow. Otacon had finally upgraded the miniature Metal Gear robot?

As if on cue, Otacon walked down the stairs, proudly saying, "Yep! It's done!"

Otacon quickly snatched the bag from Snake, who let out a sound of protest as Otacon muttered, "Yep, eggs, lots and lots of meat, string beans, potatoes, onions, and... ooh! Strawberries!"

Snake, with an half-exasperated chuckle, said, "Some of the meat's for the huskies, Otacon, you know I want to keep them well-fed."

Later, upon biting into the grilled steak, Snake murmured, "Tasty..." before nodding in approval. To his left, Sunny dug into the pile of vegetables on her plate with gusto, while Otacon admired the results of those culinary classes he had begun to take a year ago.

After dinner was done, Otacon whispered, "Hey, Snake, you mind talking with me for a bit?"

Nodding, Snake told Sunny, "Grown-up business. Why don't you play with that game system of yours while your papa and I sort this out?"

As Sunny nodded and ran into the living room, Otacon told Snake, "So, I've been running tests for the last three months after you told me that your FOXDIE had gone dormant. All the DNA samples I used gained zero results. Is that of any concern to you?"

Snake, in confusion, parroted, "DNA samples?"

Otacon replied, "Oh, just hair and drool. Nothing too major."

Before Snake could press any further, however, he heard two very loud knocks on the door. When he opened the door, Snake saw an unusually pale man wearing shades and a trenchcoat, holding a briefcase that displayed a symbol that the mercenary recognized immediately, causing him to growl out, "Alright, your gig's up. Show me who you really are."

With a somewhat annoyed and resigned sigh, the man stepped into the front room and removed his shades.

When the bright light faded, Master Hand said, "Aha! Solid Snake and Dr. Hal Emmerich! Would you two like to continue this conversation outside so we don't disturb whoever is in the living room? I'll put on my disguise as to not raise suspicions."

* * *

As Snake and Otacon waited outside, Otacon hissed, "I thought you were screwing with me when you mentioned that hand, Snake. I didn't know you were talking about an  _actual_ hand!"

Before Otacon could continue, however, Master Hand, now assuming his human disguise, walked out of the house and onto their driveway.

Snake grunted, "Why are you here right now? If it's to get me to come back, forget it. Look at me! I won't be able to fight like I used to!"

Master Hand simply laughed and said, "That can be fixed."

With a snap of his fingers, Snake began to glow with a red light. When it faded, Otacon looked on in shock, while Master Hand did so with an air of pride.

Snake had been restored to his appearance on the day of the Big Shell Incident, except with a fuller beard instead of stubble. Master Hand then pulled out a mirror, which Snake looked at in awe.

"I also fixed your defective genes, removed those pesky nanomachines, as well as the strain of FOXDIE in you. That better?"

Snake nodded slowly, and Master Hand continued, "You were actually the last veteran fighter I had to find, you were so incredibly difficult to locate compared to everyone else."

Master Hand then pulled the final veteran envelope, saying, "Welcome back, Snake. Transportation has been provided for the three of you."

Snake had a double take on that. He then managed to say, "You're saying Hal and Sunny are coming along as well?"

Master Hand let out a laugh, booming, "Of course!"

His voice now down to a whisper, he said, "That, and since everyone else has pegged you as the most unlikely to come back, I want to capture every fighter's reactions to you returning..."

And with that, Master Hand vanished into thin air.

Otacon looked at the spot where Master Hand had once stood, saying, "Huh. What did he mean by transportation?"

As if on cue, a small floating car arrived, with the driver sticking his head out of the window, asking, "Yarr, transportation fer David Plissken, Hal Emmerich, and Sunny Emmerich?"

As Otacon ran back inside the house to fetch Sunny, the driver said to Snake, "An' if yer worried about those pups of yours, don' worry, lad! They be in yer living space at the Mansion!"

Nodding in relief, Snake ran back into the house to fetch all the weapons he had needed for the tournament the last time.

Once Snake, Otacon, and Sunny were inside the car with their belongings packed, the driver said, "Yarr, ta Smash Mansion we go, mateys!"

The car vanished through a small dimensional rift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so marks the end of the veteran chapters!
> 
> 7801 Dover Avenue is an actual place in Anchorage.


	8. Interlude I: Old Faces in New Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The veterans make their way through customs, and reunite with other familiar faces.

Popo and Nana had finally made it past the final security checkpoint of the Interdimensional Commute System, and both of them were sitting on a bench, Popo excitedly digging into the first bag of rations Nana had packed for the both of them. Nana, on the other hand, had bought a chocolate bar from the nearest vending machine using some of the money she had saved from their mountain climbing adventures.

Popo, brimming with excitement, asked his girlfriend, "So, Nana, are you excited? We're finally going back!"

Nana swallowed some of the chocolate she had eaten, and said, "Yeah, Popo. It sure is nice to be going back. I wonder how the last tournament went..."

A gruff voice behind them said, "Well, it appears that some witch called Bayonetta won. That good enough for you?"

Popo and Nana both froze at the sound of that voice. Slowly turning around, they saw Wolf O'Donnell standing right in front of them with a newspaper.

"What, are the both of you going to be sitting there all day- Hrngh!"

Popo and Nana tackled him into the ground, locking him in a tight embrace.

"It's so good to see you again, Wolf!"

"Both of you, get off me right now!"

Popo and Nana immediately complied, and it was there that they could get a good look at Wolf.

The most immediate detail about his appearance was the eyepatch that covered his left eye, having lost it due to an Aparoid attack nine months prior. His fur had grown out and had become very shaggy, he had ditched his old vest in exchange for a new one that was pink and purple, and his boots were now adorned with hard steel tips at the ends of them.

Immediately noticing their stares, Wolf said, "Come on, you're telling me you haven't changed out of those dingy parkas of yours in three years? Where's your fashion sense?"

Before the two could say anything, however, Popo noticed a small trail of smoke behind Wolf. He then asked, "Is something burning?"

Nana interjected as well, saying, "I think it's your tail, Wolf."

Wolf looked behind him, and let out a yelp. As it turned out, his tail had indeed been lit on fire. As he stamped it out, he looked around for the culprit. He then felt something tap his shoulder, and Wolf audibly swallowed.

Charizard was standing right behind him with Squirtle and Ivysaur riding on his shoulders.

As Wolf gave a meek wave to the trio of Pokémon, he heard someone who sounded awfully like their master he had met at the third tournament yell, "Hey, Squirtle, Charizard, Ivysaur, don't just run off like that! You never know who... you're gonna... run into."

Red then ran up and embraced the Ice Climbers, exclaiming, "Popo! Nana! It's been far too long! What were you doing for the last three years?"

Before either one could answer, Leaf caught up and asked, "These are all those people you met at the tournament, Red?"

As Red nodded, Leaf then exclaimed, "It's so nice to meet all of you! Name's Leaf, I've been this dork's friend for the last 10 years..."

* * *

As Link walked his way around the station, he accidentally kicked something. Said thing let out a squeak of indignation, and promptly zapped him with an electric shock. As Link attempted to fix his appearance, he looked down at what he had kicked, and let out an exclamation of delight.

Pichu, touting around a large sack, had also recognized him from her father's stories, and leaped into his arms and nuzzled his cheeks.

Link then picked up Pichu's sack, and with a nod from her, he began to set off for the destination that Master Hand had set for him.

* * *

Popo was excitedly talking to Red about the newspapers he had read regarding the fourth Smash tournament, and all the newcomers that had showed up for that occasion. In the middle of talking about Cloud Strife, Nana tapped his shoulder urgently, pointing at a large silhouette in the distance.

Popo looked to where she was pointing and squinted. He then excitedly nodded to Nana, who then let out a squeal of delight.

Wolf, the trainers, and their Pokémon all exchanged glances of confusion as Popo and Nana ran off to greet the unknown figure. When Popo, Nana, and the figure got closer, Wolf actually visibly reacted, and both trainers gasped in shock.

The Hero of Time that Wolf had heard so much about stood carrying a tiny rodent that Red and Leaf both immediately recognized as a Pichu.

Wolf walked up to the child, shook his free hand, and said, "I'm Wolf O'Donnell, nice to meet you, Link."

Link backpedaled, asking, "Wait. How do you know who I am?"

"Come on, it was pathetically obvious. Green cap, green tunic, shield, sword, grappling hook, and... are those bombs I smell on your person? Come on, I've seen a couple of Links in the tournament I went to. You all are so similar..."

Sighing in agreement, Link offered Wolf one of his bottles of Lon Lon Milk, which Wolf reluctantly took. He seemed reluctant to drink it at first, until he had taken his first gulp, after which he licked his lips in approval.

Smiling, Link said, "I have about a dozen more of those on my person. You want some more?"

Wolf nodded eagerly, and Link then passed him about three more bottles of the beverage, before turning to the three Pokémon that stood before him. The big orange one he recognized as one of the Pokémon that could be summoned in the second tournament, while the other two were completely new to him.

Meanwhile, Leaf was utterly melting over Pichu, while Red could only smile in embarrassment.

"Oh my Arceus, Red, he's just so adorable! I could squish his cheeks all day!"

As Red looked around, he noticed that one person in particular was missing: Snake, that soldier who was surrounded with an aura of mystery. Red figured that he would've been a long shot to return, however, as he remembered the news of Snake joining the tournament was all sorts of controversial.

Putting those thoughts into the back of his head, Red then heard the intercom say, "The next train to Smashville is pulling in as we speak. To any Smashers in the station, please collect all of your belongings and board the train."

Red and Leaf returned their Pokémon, Wolf holstered his pistol, Young Link sheathed his sword, the Ice Climbers grabbed their Squall Hammers and their bags, and Pichu hoisted up her sack of items and food, and they all boarded the train that would take them back to a place that all of them hadn't seen in years.

* * *

As Mario was checking in the returning Smashers from the fourth tournament, he turned to Master Hand and asked, "Are-a you sure that-a  _everyone_ from the last tournament is-a coming back? That's the first time in-a 9 years that-a we haven't had to cut anyone!"

Master Hand could only chuckle at the joy in Mario's voice at that realization, and said, "Yes, Mario, everyone's coming back. No cuts were made."

If only the plumber knew what was in store...

* * *

Now back in his small pocket dimension, Master Hand had pulled out an assortment of invitation letters that he had received. Nine of them had been filled out, and four of them were supposed to remain blank until a certain amount of time had passed.

Master Hand then pulled out the nine letters what had already been completed, and read the locations on them. The letters read;  _Inkopolis_ ,  _Frigate Orpheon_ ,  _Romania_ ,  _Neo_ _Crocodile Isle_ ,  _Smashville_ ,  _Royal Avenue_ ,  _Rose Town_ ,  _Vale_ ,  _Spiral Mountain_ , and _Tokyo_.

Master Hand packed nine of the ten envelopes into his briefcase and then set off for the first of those nine locations he had to go to. Unbeknownst to him, the envelope that read 'Tokyo' vanished in a flash of red and black.


	9. Half Kids, Half Squids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Hand begins searching for newcomers, but among some tryhard cephalopods, it's going to be hard to choose the best one.

Meggy, wielding her trusty Wasabi Splattershot, had heard the announcement of "One minute left!" over the intercom. Looking at her on-hand map, she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

In the last ten seconds, her teammates had all been splatted by a Kraken that she presumed was Evan, and his team was slowly closing in on their territory, while she was pinned to a wall by enemy fire.

Deciding that it was now or never, Meggy sprang into action, vaulting over Evan's Kraken form, and managing to splat one of his teammates. Meggy landed in the splash of orange ink that was left there, and while Evan desperately tried to turn around, Meggy got the other two of his teammates with a well-placed Splat Bomb.

Meggy looked back at her map of Flounder Heights, and smiled when she saw that her teammates were beginning to push back and reclaim their territory.

Turning around once she heard a wet squelch, she saw Evan, now back in his Inkling form, barreling towards her with his Krak-on Splat Roller.

Meggy Super Jumped to a close by teammate, and Evan immediately reversed his direction once he had seen her jump.

Meggy opened fire on Evan while her teammate ran off to reclaim the center with his allies, but Evan blocked most of her shots using his Roller.

Evan and Meggy then both heard the intercom shout that 30 seconds remained, and Evan threw a Squid Beakon at Meggy as a distraction before swimming off to the center to regain the advantage.

As Meggy gave chase back to the center, she felt a warm feeling course through her body, and she smirked. Her Inkstrike was primed to fire.

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1!"

As she let the massive torpedo fly, Evan and his teammates had managed to barely retake the center just as the intercom screamed, "TIME!"

Evan's sense of relief turned to dread when he saw an Inkstrike missile falling to a sector that he and his teammates had completely covered in their ink.

With bated breath, both teams awaited for the results. Judd then pointed his flag to Meggy's team, and the results showed on the screen.

Meggy's team had won by  _0.1 percent_  thanks to that last moment Inkstrike.

Evan, having lost to Meggy countless times in Turf Wars, sighed and walked over to her while the rest of his team threw a fit in frustration. After their respawn points had taken the 8 Inklings back to the lobby of Inkopolis Tower, Evan shook her hand before askin, "Hey, Meggy. Would you like to get a drink at Crusty Sean's?"

Meggy replied, "Yeah! In fact, let's go right now!"

Evan blushed and let out a noise of protest as Meggy grabbed his hand and dragged him out into Inkopolis Plaza.

* * *

Master Hand, now in a completely different disguise, had walked into the plaza and decided to look at a replay of the most recent Turf War match. He took note of the two captains on each team, Meggy and Evan. He started the replay, and looked at the match in awe. Both captains commanded their teams with an aura of confidence and encouragement, made incredibly smart decisions throughout the match, and utilized each of their teammates' kits to the fullest. Master Hand now had a clear idea of which one of these Inklings would be joining the Super Smash Bros. tournament, so he snapped his fingers and created a duplicate of the letter that had 'Inkopolis' scrawled on it. Now he just needed a way to find the two...

* * *

After they had both finished their smoothies, the two of them walked back to their shared apartment.

Meggy exclaimed, "Home at last!"

As the two took turns at playing on that old game console the two of them had found in Walleye Warehouse one day, Evan asked, "Meggy, do you ever feel these matches get... kinda boring?"

Meggy turned to Evan and said, "Yeah, it really does get kinda boring battling in the same four kinds of matches. I really wish they did something different, or maybe added a new type of Ranked match."

As Evan nodded, the two Inklings heard a knock at the door. The two of them went to answer, and visibly balked at the sight right in front of them.

A large right hand, clad in a white glove and holding a suitcase with a weird emblem emblazoned on it was floating in their faces.

Evan stuttered out, "W-who the heck are you, a-and what d-do you want with us?"

Meggy simply stared at the emblem on the suitcase, wondering why it looked so familiar.

Before Master Hand could begin his explanation, however, Meggy interjected with, "Hey, Evan, isn't that the Super Smash Bros. symbol?"

Evan looked at the briefcase, and said, "Yeah, it is!"

Master Hand then asked, "Wait, how do the two of you know about the tournament?"

Meggy and Evan both replied at the same time, "It was a live broadcast, we still have the DVR recordings of the tournament."

As Master Hand made a sound of approval, Meggy continued, "It was so much fun watching the tournament live! See, thanks to Agent 3's findings over the course of the last year, we've discovered that we're actually one of the only surviving races on this this planet."

Evan then finished, "So it was REALLY exciting to see all these different people on our screens, as we've literally never seen them before."

Master Hand then mused to himself, "Capable  _and_ enthusiastic? Yeah, these two are definitely a lock."

Turning to the Inkling duo, Master Hand boomed out, "To the two of you, Meggy and Evan, you both have been granted a spot in the fifth Super Smash Brothers tournament! We expect you to come by December 7th, and we've also standardized your weapon selections too."

Passing them their invitations, Master Hand gave them a wave before vanishing into thin air.

After several minutes of stunned silence, Evan then whispered, "Pinch me, please."

Meggy obliged, and Evan let out a yelp of pain before choking out, "Yep, it's real alright!"

Meggy and Evan celebrated all night at the prospect of being able to see a human in the flesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter's rather big.


	10. Cunning God of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ridley, lurking in the Frigate Orpheon, eagerly awaits his next meal...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ridley's big. Like, really big. All jokes aside, however, there will be some notes here to justify decisions I have made in this story:
> 
> \- It's been six years since his death on Planet Zebes. He was first cloned during the Subspace debacle by Tabuu, and the first cloning process actually worked as it was intended.
> 
> \- After he was killed again in the Subspace Bomb Factory, some of his DNA made it onto Samus' armor in time for the events of Other M, resulting in the Ridley clone that is seen in that game. Instead of basically going through a stress episode, Samus did not waste time unloading her arsenal into this Ridley.
> 
> -After Other M and Fusion (Fusion happened a month after Other M in my timeline), the Space Pirates found what remained of his lifeless husk after it was savaged by the Queen Metroid, and cloned him with their technology.
> 
> \- This is the fourth incarnation of Ridley, but he is flawed due to the primitiveness of the Space Pirates' cloning technology. He is roughly the size of when Samus first encountered him on Zebes, his eyes have shrunk into his head (this doesn't impair his vision), and he looks more skeletal in body structure.

Geoform 187, better known as Ridley, was resting in the ruins of the Frigate Orpheon. Today had been surprisingly prosperous, as he had managed to find two largely populated colonies, and just like he had on the colony of K-2L, back when he had first met the Hunter, he razed both colonies to the ground and ate all of their inhabitants.  _Two whole colonies_! Alas, their flesh could do nothing for his skeletal frame, as the Space Pirates' technology had severely impaired some of his abilities. Naturally, he killed them all in revenge. It had all begun with his sixth encounter against the Hunter, down in the depths of Planet Zebes...

* * *

_As Ridley dueled the Hunter in the catacombs of Norfair, she had stopped firing at Ridley and instead began shooting at the walls. While initially baffled by this sudden change in her tactics, Ridley shrugged it off, grabbed the hunter in his scaly claws, and began to drag her across the walls in an effort to damage her suit. Unbeknownst to him, however, the shots fired at the walls had weakened the structural integrity of the room, and when Ridley stopped dragging her across the walls, he resorted to repeatedly bashing her against the wall in an attempt to end her._

_After he had slammed her about seven times, however, Ridley heard a large rumble in the catacombs, and looked up. That split-second moment of lost focus sealed his fate, as the Hunter shot him in the jaw and dropped to the ground. Recoiling, Ridley then felt sharp pains in his back, and he began to plummet towards the floor. The last thing Ridley remembered before blacking out was the Hunter rolling to a safe location._

_The Hunter's tactic had worked in her favor, as the ceiling had collapsed, dislodging a large amount of rubble that had buried the Space Pirate Commander._

_When he came to, Ridley saw nothing. He bumped his head against something hard, and then remembered that he was completely buried under a pile of rubble. He pushed the debris off his head, only to see the Hunter pointing her Super Missile launcher right at his face._

_Right before she had fired and ended his life, Ridley screeched in defiance before shooting his tail out of the rubble and attempting to impale the Hunter where she stood..._

* * *

Letting out a low snarl, Ridley cursed the fact that he could no longer get his revenge on the Hunter (at least not for a few years), as she was currently preparing for the blasted Super Smash Brothers tournament, a brawl that he had tried for _years_ to get into. Before he could continue, Ridley was snapped out of his musings by a loud clatter. Flying to the darkest place in the Frigate, he hung in the shadows like a bat, primed to strike and kill the next poor soul that dared to trespass on his domain.

Master Hand cursed the limited visibility he had in the ruined vessel, and continued his search for Ridley. Upon arriving in the room that he had used as a stage in the third tournament and was planning to use for this one, Master Hand noticed a gleam of yellow from a very dark corner of the room, and immediately snapped his fingers.

He heard a screech of outrage getting closer and closer as he pulled the construct of light towards him, and Master Hand instinctively floated backwards.

The cage of light crashed on the floor, and the former Space Pirate commander snarled in anger and tried to smash apart the cage, staring at the being before him. Why would he be here if he was to serve as an obstacle for the Smashers to overcome  _again_?

Master Hand, now cautious, said, "Now, now, Ridley. I haven't come all this way just to make you a boss again. If you don't try to kill me on the spot, I will release these bonds and tell you my terms. Deal?"

Much to his surprise, however, he heard Ridley hiss out, "Very well then."

Master Hand snapped his fingers, causing the cage of light to dissipate. Ridley, slouched over, was attentively listening to the hand.

"See, in the past, we've had to reject you because your bodies were, ah, how can we say it, too big. But, you've been an integral part of the tournament's history for all eleven years it's been active, and I think this is long overdue..."

Ridley awaited the hand's words with gusto.

"...Welcome to the Super Smash Brothers tournament, Ridley. I trust you can find your way there."

As Ridley nodded, a cruel smile settled on his face. At last, he could do whatever he wanted to those blasted fighters. No restrictions, completely unfettered, and  _without any_ _mercy whatsoever_. The Hunter would be his first target, as revenge for that his death in Norfair six years ago...

Master Hand snapped him out of his thoughts, saying, "Ah, but I do have certain... conditions for you to abide to, as your lack of scruples makes you very dangerous."

Ridley rolled his eyes to the best of his ability, thinking,  _"Of course they would."_

"Impalement of other fighters?"

"Only on the battlefield."

"Evisceration?"

"Not really possible, given our protective enchantments..."

"...I still get my chance at the Hunter, yes?"

"That is correct."

With a triumphant screech, Ridley flew through the roof of the Frigate Orpheon and towards the Smash Mansion.

Master Hand, with a slight gesture, flickered out of the Frigate and towards his next destination.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the both of them, however, a small trace of sentient Phazon had overheard the entire conversation, and through intense concentration, managed to create a small wormhole to the destination the two had mentioned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Samus tease at the end is the most presence of any Echo Fighter in this part of the story.


	11. Evil's Whip-Wielding Bane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Approaching the chamber of Count Dracula, Simon Belmont is not prepared for the surprise that awaits him in the room...

Simon Belmont, one of many descendants of the esteemed Belmont clan, had slain many of Dracula's minions on his way to fight the Lord of the Night. He had felled one of Dracula's own spawn, Medusa, the Mummy, the Creature and the Flea Man, and the Grim Reaper. All but the Reaper had gone done with little to no resistance, strangely.

Shoving that thought into the back of his head, Simon trudged up the steps to Dracula's room. He clutched a cross tightly in his left hand, and his bloodline's signature weapon; the holy Vampire Killer whip, in his right.

Now at the doors to Dracula's domain, Simon blasted the doors open with his whip… only to find the room empty. Perplexed, he searched the room for any trace of the vampire, ultimately finding nothing. Not even his coffin, which was such an integral part of the recounts that were passed down by his great-grandfather, was present.

As Simon was understandably confused, a blood-red light flashed behind him. Turning around, much to his surprise, however, he saw a massive gloved hand floating before him.

"What are you? And what is your business here?"

"Oh-ho! Simon Belmont, descendant of the legendary Belmont clan, I have rid the castle of Dracula of its inhabitants, so- hurk!"

Master Hand was cut off by a metal chain circling his palm and yanking him closer to the assailant.

Simon, now highly suspicious, growled, "Tell me, then, what were your motives for doing so? Are you some sort of new evil?"

Master Hand flickered out of the whip's hold, much to shock of the vampire hunter, and snapped his fingers, conjuring his briefcase.

"Okay, where is it, where is it… here we go!"

Master Hand then pulled out the envelope that read  _Romania_  on it, but did not present it to Simon, as he felt that he would've raised even more suspicions.

Master Hand then asked Simon, "Tell me, are you aware of the Super Smash Brothers tournament?"

Simon slowly shook his head.

Master Hand then continued, "This tournament is a collection of great warriors across the world, and judging by your trek through Dracula's Castle, I'd say you're more than qualified to join."

Simon, now nodding in interest, said, "That does sound intriguing, I admit. Warriors from all over the world?"

Master Hand gave a thumbs-up, before saying, "Yes, there's even one from the New World."

Simon then asked, "But what will become of Dracula? Will any future descendants of mine be free from his curse?"

Master Hand then gave a dismissive wave, continuing, "Oh, don't worry about him. I have moved him to a far off place."

Simon then said, "Very well. I shall join this tournament you speak of."

Master Hand then finished by saying, "Then it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Super Smash Brothers tournament, Simon Belmont. Please step through… here!"

Master Hand snapped his fingers, opening up the gateway to the Interdimensional Commute System.

Simon obliged, stepping through the vortex.

Once Simon was gone, Master Hand snapped his fingers, cutting out the entirety of Dracula's tower, and transporting it to his pocket dimension. There, he took a look at the various monsters he had put into stasis after the vampire hunter had defeated them, and then looked to his right and saw Dracula's stasis wearing off.

Once Dracula broke free, he took a sip of the wine glass he had been drinking before the hand had froze him, and hissed, "What do you want with me, hand?"

Master Hand paused for a moment, considering, before saying, "I want you… and your comrades over there to serve as hazards in your quarters for my tournament. If you refuse the offer, you will never return to that world you have terrorized for so long. So, Dracula Vlad Tepes, do you accept my offer?"

Dracula reluctantly grumbled, "I will do as you wish."

Master Hand flourished, saying, "Excellent! I will free your minions, and you will relay the news to them. You understand?"

Dracula nodded slowly.

With a flicker, Master Hand broke the stasis on the other monsters he had captured, and teleported away to his next destination.

* * *

Meanwhile, Simon waited in the customs department, as the attendants were busy passing all of his holy gear and weapons through the checkpoint.

Simon looked at the envelope in his hand, before deciding to open it. Unfurling across half the length of the floor, the letter read:

_Simon Belmont,_

_Congratulations! You have been selected for the fifth Super Smash Brothers tournament, which begins on December 7th! The Super Smash Brothers tournament is a tournament consisting of many great warriors across the universe. Some of these people (or animals) are selected due to their incredibly unique set of skills or their level of publicity and fame (mostly the former). Since the fifth tournament features every fighter that has ever starred in these tournaments, I have condensed it into a list for easier readings:_

_Mushroom Kingdom: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Bowser Jr., and Dr. Mario_

_Donkey Kong Island: Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong_

_Comet Observatory: Rosalina_

_Yoshi's Island: Yoshi_

_Diamond City: Wario_

_Hyrule: Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Young Link, and Toon Link_

_K-2L: Samus_

_Corneria: Fox, Falco, and Wolf_

_Dream Land: Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight_

_Mute City: Captain Falcon_

_Kanto: Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Pokémon Trainer_

_Johto: Pichu_

_Sinnoh: Lucario_

_Kalos: Greninja_

_Eagleland: Ness_

_Nowhere Islands: Lucas_

_Glacial Village: The Ice Climbers_

_…_

Simon immediately folded the letter and stuffed it back into the envelope, not wanting to read further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, nothing like the holy arsenal of the Belmonts...


	12. The Kremling Kommander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simmering in his own madness, King K. Rool tries to formulate plans to exact revenge on the Kong clan.

King K. Rool, also known as Kaptain K. Rool, Baron K. Roolenstein, Krusha K. Rool, and Tutan K. Roolmon, was festering in his airship, going over plans to make a grand return and eradicate the Kongs once and for all. The Blast-O-Matic once again seemed like his best bet, but it would be months until it had the power to annihilate the entirety of DK Island.

It also didn't help that the island's geography had radically changed in the four years he had been away. The large DK head had been completely blown away by the volcano's eruption (which had greatly satisfied K. Rool). The ice caps on Gorilla Glacier had melted away, the declining sea levels had given way to a beach, most of the land between what was once Gorilla Glacier and the remains of Kremcroc Industries had crumbled away, leaving precarious cliffs in addition to exposing tar pits and fossils, and ancient ruins had been uncovered by deforestation.

Most of his Kremling Krew had deserted him, save for Krusha, Klump, Klaptrap, and Kritter, who remained with him out of sheer loyalty.

Gnashing his teeth in frustration, K. Rool crumpled up the paper and flung it at his wastebin. Nothing had gone right for him since those blasted Kongs foiled his original scheme of starving them for their island. Nothing, absolutely nothing had worked. Not even a desperate bid for the Super Smash Bros. tournament two years prior could get him his revenge on the clan of primates.

Speaking of the Super Smash Bros. tournament, K. Rool had filed yet another application for the tournament. He was certain that it would work this time, even if it failed twice before…

A knock on his door snapped him out of his thoughts.

"WHAT IS IT?!"

"Uh, it's Krusha, sir. You have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

"Yeah, he's requesting a personal audience with you, Your Scaliness."

"Very well, then. Let them in, Krusha."

The door opened, and K. Rool saw a large white glove holding a briefcase.

"Well, it's about time! I was wondering when you'd arrive!"

Master Hand's aura of intimidation completely vanished in sheer confusion, and he only managed to utter out a confused, "Huh?"

"I've filed applications for the last six years! Why haven't I been accepted?"

Krusha walked into the room, and said to Master Hand, "He gets like this often. He hasn't been right up there ever since KAOS and the Blast-O-Matic failed."

As Krusha left the room, Master Hand decided to cut right to the chase, saying, "K. Rool, you're in the Super Smash Brothers tournament."

K. Rool stopped mid-rant, saying, "So… I'm in?"

Sighing in exasperation, Master Hand said, "Yes, K. Rool, you're in. Here's the envelope. Take the portal when you're ready."

After generating the wormhole, Master Hand gave the invitation to K. Rool and left immediately, muttering something about crazy crocodiles.

K. Rool looked at Krusha, who gave him a thumbs-up, and back at the envelope, which was sealed with a wax version of the Super Smash Bros. logo. K. Rool leapt in sheer elation, whooping out, "My time has come! At last, I can get my revenge on those meddlesome monkeys!"

Turning to Krusha, K. Rool said, "Krusha, get the devices!"

"All of 'em, sir?"

K. Rool snapped, "Yes, all of them, you numbskull!"

As Krusha left to get the supplies from the Gangplank Galleon, K. Rool looked through his wardrobe. Which one of these outfits would be the best fit for a grand return? While he ultimately decided to stick with his first outfit, he still crammed all of the other ones into a large suitcase. At this point, Krusha ran into the room, grunting, "Here they are, sir!" before collapsing in a heap.

K. Rool looked through the pile, picking out his boxing gloves, his helicopter pack, and his blunderbuss out of the pile and cramming them into his suitcase.

It was at this moment that K. Rool decided to spontaneously burst into song. Krusha, taking a hint, left the Flying Krock.

"Now that I have the power, this is my finest hour. Nothing on this earth can stop me nooooooowwwww…" K. Rool stepped through the wormhole, ready to exact his revenge on the Kongs for the first time in six years.

* * *

Meanwhile, a squirrel in a blue hoodie walked onto the island, and said, "Well, that's certainly not the weirdest thing I've seen all day…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It really, really helps if you imagine K. Rool's voice as the cartoon counterpart.


	13. The Mayor's Secretary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabelle, having filled out the paperwork for the Smash tournament as well as the returning veterans, is approached by Master Hand for a great reward.

Isabelle, assistant to the mayor of Smashville, had just finished the paperwork regarding the return of both the Smashville platform and the one over the city down south as stages in the Super Smash Bros. tournament. As she filed it over to the dimensional rift that had a sign reading, "To Master Hand," she heard loud knocking on her office door.

Isabelle politely chirped, "Come in!"

The door opened, and Isabelle was completely blown away by the amount of people that stood there.

Red, Leaf, Popo, Nana, Wolf, Young Link, and Pichu all entered the building holding Smasher Tickets, which they could trade in for a pass that gave them identification and allowed them to enter the Mansion near the outskirts of the town up north.

Isabelle, still smiling, said, "Veteran Smashers, I assume?"

All of them but Wolf nodded, who was chugging a jar of what Isabelle assumed to be Lon Lon Milk.

"Tickets, please!"

Popo and Nana passed their ticket to Isabelle, who gave them a pass with the number 15 on it. The cold-accustomed duo left, Popo in particular whooping in ecstasy as Nana smiled at his sheer elation.

Pichu jumped off of Young Link's shoulders and onto her desk. After initially fawning over her, Isabelle handed Pichu a card with the number 19. Pichu grabbed her bag from Link and walked to the Mansion.

Red and Leaf were next. Red asked, "Hey, is it okay if Leaf over here gets a pass of her own?"

Isabelle nodded, and gave the duo two cards that each had the numbers 33, 34, and 35 inscribed on it. Red sent out his Charizard, giving it a reluctant pat on the shoulder to let it know that they were flying to their destination, as while he wanted to see them again, he still didn't trust Master Hand. After a squawk of indignation, Leaf ran after the two, yelling, "Wait for me!"

The child clad in green, Young Link, walked up to Isabelle and handed her his ticket. Isabelle, with a smile of approval, handed him a pass that had the number 22 engraved on it. Young Link, brimming with joy, ran out the door to catch up with the others.

That left the Villager's trusty secretary alone with the vulpine mercenary. Wolf, in the middle of his fourth container of Lon Lon Milk, walked up to Isabelle and asked, "Hey, can I get my ticket right n-"

Wolf didn't get to finish his sentence, as he aspirated some of his drink and spent the next minute in a coughing fit. Isabelle tilted her head in concern at seeing him choke, and once he was done, she asked him, "Mr. Wolf, do you need a glass of water or something?"

Wolf muttered, "Just take my ticket, please."

Isabelle did as he asked, and gave him a card with the number 44 written on it. Wolf then left the building, but not before accidentally tripping over a potted plant.

As Wolf left, Isabelle saw the mayor walk in.

"Oh! Mr. Mayor! How does it feel being a veteran now?"

Villager gave Isabelle a friendly wave before saying, "It feels really nice, to be honest. How's the paperwork coming along?"

Isabelle put on a proud look on her face, before responding with, "I just finished all of the paperwork! Smashville is as good as ever, and the city down south was incredibly cooperative regarding negotiations!"

Villager gave a nod of approval, before saying to her, "Hey, Master Hand wanted me to come and get you. He says that you're long overdue for a reward…"

Nodding, Isabelle followed Villager out of the town hall and north to the Smash Mansion.

* * *

Master Hand, now having told the returning veterans (except Snake, who currently resided in his quarters with Otacon and Sunny) to remain in a isolated room until he decided that it would be fit for them to come out and show themselves to the other Smashers, floated out and checked his stopwatch. It had been about half an hour since he sent Villager out on his errand. What could the kid possibly be doing?

Villager yelling, "I'm here, Master Hand!" snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, Villager! Have you brought the one I requested?"

Villager gave a nod of barely controlled excitement, and Master Hand looked to his left to see a yellow dog with Bells tied in her hair.

"Your name is… Isabelle, yes?"

"Yep, that's me!"

Master Hand gave a thumbs-up, and continued, "Well, it's your lucky day, Isabelle! I've been impressed with your drive and work ethic ever since you began to sub for Villager's mayoral duties three years ago. That kind of persistence and determination deserves a reward even greater than that of being an Assist Trophy!"

Isabelle could only gape. Could this mean…

As if he read her mind, Master Hand pulled out a letter from his briefcase, saying, "Isabelle, welcome to the Super Smash Brothers tournament. Your waiting room will be right over… there!"

Master Hand snapped his fingers, and a building with a sign that read, "For Newcomers," appeared, and a small card with a 68 on it floated into her hand.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more… pressing matters to attend to."

Master Hand vanished in a flash of light.

After a moment of silence, Isabelle and Villager jumped in joy and gave each other their secret handshake, and then Villager began to explain what life as a Smasher would entail, while Isabelle listened attentively all the way to the building.


	14. The Ring's Raging Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now in the finals of the Pokkén Cup, Incineroar faces a formidable foe, while Master Hand begins scouting the match for a potential newcomer.

Incineroar had let out a low growl as he saw who his last opponent in this gauntlet match was: Machamp. He had already defeated a Garchomp, a Gengar, a Weavile, an Aegislash, and most surprisingly, a roaming Suicune. Machamp had been a rival of his ever since they were both a Litten and a Machop, and here he was, as his last obstacle to winning the Pokkén Cup that was held in the honor of the Ferrum region.

Machamp leapt into the ring, and started showboating for the fans, who reacted with thunderous cheers and applause. Incineroar heard a bell ring, and the match was underway.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Master Hand, back in his human disguise, watched the match in the stands, his briefcase having only three envelopes left, as he had pulled out the one that read " _Royal Avenue_ " before he had begun to watch the match.

* * *

Incineroar began the match by lunging at Machamp with a lariat infused with Dark-type energy, which Machamp ducked by performing a split. Running off the ropes, Incineroar performed a shoulder charge and knocked down Machamp. As he showed off to the crowds, they showered him in jeers.

Machamp took this opportunity to grab Incineroar by his feet and performing a giant swing on him. Once he was finished, he threw Incineroar into a corner and began a Bullet Punch barrage, only to be stopped with a lightning fast Throat Chop from Incineroar, who then performed Crunch on one of his arms before headbutting Machamp with a brutal Iron Head.

As the audience let out a collective groan, Incineroar then struck Machamp with a Low Sweep, which brought the Superpower Pokémon down to the mat. Climbing up to the top rope, Incineroar, after a triumphant roar, leapt up and dove down, primed for a devastating Cross Chop.

Machamp rolled out of the way, causing Incineroar to crash and burn onto the mat. As Incineroar got up, Machamp started to play to the crowd as he primed himself for a comeback. Machamp began with a big punch to Incineroar, followed by another punch, and then throwing the Heel Pokémon into the ropes in preparation for a big boot, which Incineroar slid right under, before retaliating with a German suplex. As Machamp stood up, dazed, Incineroar charged at him, and managed to hit with the Darkest Lariat.

Wasting no time, Incineroar climbed up to the top rope and performed his signature Malicious Moonsault, landing on Machamp with tremendous force. He then covered Machamp for a count of 3, signifying the end of the match.

"The winner is… INCINEROAR!"

Incineroar celebrated and taunted as the audience jeered and heckled him. After being presented with the Pokkén Cup, Incineroar walked to the back.

* * *

Master Hand, thoroughly impressed with the match, decided that Incineroar would be a perfect fit for the Super Smash Bros. tournament. Now, it came to actually managing to get to the Pokémon…

* * *

As Incineroar sat in his locker room, licking his wounds in a metaphorical sense, he heard a loud knock on the door. Expecting yet another overzealous fan asking for an autograph, he was surprised to see a mysterious man in a trenchcoat, shades, and a fedora holding a briefcase.

Master Hand asked, "Incineroar, yes?" and the Heel Pokémon nodded in confirmation.

"May I speak to you in private, please?"

As Incineroar closed the door, Master Hand took off his shades and reverted to his true form. Incineroar did not appear shocked nor impressed at the large right hand before him.

"What? Isn't your sport built around theatrics?"

Incineroar rolled his eyes, and let out a growl that Master Hand translated as, "Tell me why you're here in my room. Otherwise, leave."

Master Hand asked, "Are you aware of the Super Smash Brothers tournament?"

Incineroar thought about it for a second, before grabbing a whiteboard from the back of the room and writing, "Yes, actually. Lucario told me all about the last one he went to. It sounded pretty fun, especially with all these different Pokémon and unique opponents I've heard about."

Master Hand then continued, "Well, I looked at all the matches you had in the Pokkén Cup, and I must say, I'm really impressed with your fighting style."

Incineroar felt a small twinge of pride at that, and wrote, "So, what does this mean for me? Am I going to be a Poké Ball summon, or maybe-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Master Hand laughed, and said, "No, no, you won't be a Poké Ball Pokémon. In fact…"

Master Hand pulled an envelope out of thin air, and said, "Welcome to the Super Smash Brothers tournament, Incineroar. The portal to the Interdimensional Commute System will open shortly."

As Master Hand vanished with a quick flicker, Incineroar looked at the envelope that confirmed his spot in the tournament, and his disposition brightened considerably.

The wormhole opened up, and Incineroar, with a triumphant smirk on his face, walked through, ready to heat up the tournament with his fiery fighting style.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incineroar's the best Alolan starter by a country mile. He's not mute, obviously, but he talks in signs because he finds it funny.


	15. Interlude II: Reunited and it Feels so Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The returning veterans are called in, with the rest of the Smashers from the fourth tournament awaiting announcements with bated breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Stork from the Yoshi's Island games is my dream joke fighter.

The Original 12, or the dozen fighters who had been a part of the Super Smash Bros. tournaments since the first one eleven years ago, were sitting at a roundtable in a private conference room, ready to discuss the potential newcomers that Master Hand could've possibly brought to the tournament. The current group at the table consisted of Donkey Kong, Link (much to the surprise of everyone, he ditched the cap, got a blue tunic, and also a tablet that he called a Sheikah Slate), Samus, Kirby, Fox, Pikachu, Luigi, Ness, Captain Falcon, and Jigglypuff.

Two of their number were missing.

Breaking the awkward silence, Fox asked, "Hey, Luigi, shouldn't your brother be done registering the Fighter Passes of everyone else? I mean, it's just everyone from the last tournament coming back, what could be taking so long?"

Before Luigi could answer, someone knocked on their door.

Ness, leaving his seat, said, "I'll get it!"

Ness opened the door, and Mario and Yoshi walked in, Yoshi having taken a basket of fruit with him, as he was aware that he and Kirby would probably start eating everything in sight if there was no food present.

With the two situated in their seats, the conference began.

Captain Falcon began the conversation by asking the Mario Bros., "So, you two have the second-largest pool for potential newcomers, who do you hope that Glover's selected for this tournament?"

Mario and Luigi began talking in the very broken Italian that they could somehow communicate to each other with, and Mario decided to take the initiative, saying, "I'm just-a glad we didn't have to-a cut anybody this-a time 'round, so I'm not too-a concerned over who's-a coming to this tournament. It could be a Goomba, or even a Piranha Plant, I'm-a just happy that no one got-a the boot this-a time. What about you,  _fratellino_?"

Luigi nervously twiddled his fingers, before saying, "I would like for Princess Daisy to be in the tournament this time, but..."

"Daisy? You mean Orange Peach?"

Luigi glared at Fox, ready to tell him off, before Mario said, "Weeg, it's okay. She'll probably get in as a clone fighter or something."

Eager to change the subject, Luigi turned towards Pikachu and Jigglypuff, asking, "What about the two of you?"

Jigglypuff began by grabbing out her trusty microphone/marker hybrid and a whiteboard, and she began to animatedly draw something. When she finished, she proudly unveiled her drawing. It barely even looked like a Pokémon, but those with an attuned pair of eyes could barely make out the shape of a Zoroark on the board.

Pikachu, rolling his eyes, snagged some markers and a rag from a nearby cup, and began to draw. After about fifteen minutes, he proudly showed his creations with a flourish, which turned out to be a Hydreigon, a Golisopod, and an Incineroar, all beautifully drawn with amazing detail. After a small smattering of applause, Pikachu passed the board over to Yoshi, who after eating a bunch of grapes, instead grabbed a new board, gave Pikachu his art back, and wrote down something in less than five seconds. He then showed the board to everyone, which simply read "The Stork."

After a hearty round of laughter, along with nostalgic smiles from the brothers, Yoshi turned to Samus and pointed at her.

Samus, after some deliberation, answered, "Anybody but Dark Samus or Ridley."

* * *

Unbeknownst to everyone in the Mansion, a small trace of Phazon had infiltrated their armory, desperately looking for the suit it had used roughly seven years ago against the bounty hunter that would eventually bring about her downfall.

After a little searching, she had found the Phazon Suit.

Sensing an opportunity at revenge, the Phazon blob latched onto the suit of armor, and its influence began to corrupt the suit, until it was finally black with a glowing blue light.

Dark Samus had risen again.

* * *

Meanwhile, after Otacon gave Snake his cardboard box and saw him off to the main auditorium, he retreated back to their shared quarters, where he smiled at the sight of Sunny playing fetch with their six dogs. Otacon then decided to call Snake via Codec.

"Snake, can you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Hal."

"Okay, so I hear that the veterans are going to reconvene in the auditorium in about half an hour! Set up everything correctly? The bird cam's still up in the rafters."

"Yeah, yeah, got it, Otacon."

Otacon deactivated his Codec and maintained surveillance through the dove robot in the rafters, while Snake activated his camouflage inside the box.

* * *

Ness had pointed at Donkey Kong, and the primate had grabbed a curtain, tied it around his neck, and put a crown on his head before shaking his head wildly.

"No K. Rool?"

Donkey Kong nodded his assent, before putting the curtain back up.

Before Fox could say anything, an announcement rang through the entire Mansion, which said, "All Smashers, report to the auditorium. Mario will speak to you shortly."

The Original 12 took this as their cue to end their conference, and left for the auditorium.

* * *

At the same time, all of the returning veterans heard the announcement in their little room, which then continued, "Including returning veterans."

All of them exited the room and showed Nikki, who was serving as the front receptionist, their Fighter Passes, and began to walk to the auditorium.

* * *

Inside, everyone had noticed the incredibly large number of empty seats in the room. Greninja noticed six empty seats over where he and Lucario were sitting, Toon Link found an empty seat between him and Sheik, Bowser found three empty seats near where Mario would've sat, Sonic noticed five empty seats near him and Mega Man, Roy stared at the unoccupied seat next to him, Samus found two empty seats next to her, Diddy Kong noticed an unoccupied seat next to Donkey Kong, R.O.B. and Shulk noticed two chairs next to them, Falco noticed a seat right next to him and internally groaned, and Villager, while he did see the empty seat next to him, only smiled wider. Meanwhile, two chairs were positioned near a lone, inconspicuous cardboard box in the back row.

Mario stepped up to the podium, and cleared his throat, which silenced the raucous crowd in the room. Grabbing Master Hand's paper that he left there, he began the address.

"To all Smashers, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the fifth Super Smash Brothers tournament!"

Cheers and applause came from all but the most stoic of fighters, who noticed that Mario had managed to suppress his verbal tic.

"It's been a long eleven years since the first iteration of the tournament, and we've seen many faces come and go."

Those who had known the Ice Climbers exchanged sad glances with each other.

"However, it is with great pleasure that I give you this announcement: In addition to the required newcomers for the tournament, every single veteran will be returning!"

Gasps of shock ran through the audience. Did the hand truly mean  _everyone_? Mario himself stared at the paper as if it was some sort of fake. A loud knock resounded through the hall, and behind the Smashers, the great doors opened.

"Surprise, everyone! We're back!"

Popo and Nana ran into the room, and loud cheers began. Ness and Lucas ran over to the two and gave them a large hug, while Ike gave Popo a teasing noogie before scooping them into an embrace.

Red and Leaf swooped in on the former's Charizard, who let out a ferocious roar, and the cheering got even louder when Red sent out Squirtle and Ivysaur.

A melody sounded on a very familiar instrument, and the cheering from Link's side, save for Ganondorf, was the loudest of all. Young Link walked through the hall and situated himself between Sheik and Toon Link, the former of whom ruffled his hair affectionately, ignoring the glare that the King of Evil shot his way.

A small mouse bounded through the hall and jumped onto one of the seats near Mewtwo, who regarded it with an amused glance while Pikachu gave it an enthusiastic pawshake. Pichu then sat down, feeling entirely overwhelmed.

A howl sounded throughout the room, and Fox and Falco audibly facepalmed as the villains' cheering got louder. Wolf sat next to them, holding a jug of Lon Lon Milk that he had pilfered from the kitchens, before saying, "Missed me?"

Falco vehemently shook his head while Fox did a "kind of" gesture.

Amidst the celebration, everyone present for the third tournament knew there was one person missing. But then, Mr. Game & Watch ran up to Mario, tapping him on the shoulder, and pointed to a lone cardboard box in the back. Mario ran to where Game & Watch had pointed, and everyone's eyes followed the plumber. Mario lifted the box, only to find… nothing.

While disappointment was present in everyone's eyes, all of a sudden, there was a loud noise, and the air crackled with ozone as Snake disengaged his camouflage, stood up, and teasingly said, "Kept you waiting, huh?"

The entire room was silent for ten seconds, before a deafening uproar rose among everyone that attended the third tournament, who then tackled the mercenary to the ground in a large hug, save for Bowser, Ganondorf, Wario, and Wolf.

After a solid minute of soaking it in, Snake, and everyone else, returned to their designated seats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The seating chart goes: Universes with multiple reps, single-rep universes, and third parties.


	16. The Ambassador of Star Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 12 years of neglect had left the former location of the Mushroom Kingdom in ruin, and a lesser Star Spirit roams the wish-filled haven known as Star Hill, wishing for more adventures like the one 12 years ago.

Rose Town, a town in Mushroom Valley, the former location of the Mushroom Kingdom 12 years ago, had finally fallen victim to the urban decay that settled in after the great relocation that had occurred shortly after the Smithy Gang's defeat. Never before had an invasion been so successful and devastating in such a short amount of time. After the festivities had ended, the reconstruction of the Mushroom Kingdom had begun, and many towns in the old Mushroom Kingdom were abandoned, left to slowly crumble away over the years.

Master Hand recalled all of those details that a Toad in Toad Town had told him regarding the current whereabouts of Rose Town, and couldn't help but feel sorry for what remained of the town when he arrived.

Most of the buildings, save for one close to the entrance of town, had been reduced to rubble and small circles of rock. The Forest Maze just north of town, having grown out of control in the last decade, had crept into what remained of the town, burying most of it in overgrowth.

Master Hand looked at the envelope in his hand, and then the sign next to him to verify that he had found the right location.

Deciding to check the one house that remained standing, Master Hand walked into the former home of the celebrated toymaker Gaz, who had received national attention for his crafting of the Geno doll that assisted Mario and company in their quest to stop the Smithy Gang.

Master Hand opened a drawer on the first floor, only to find nothing. Scouring the rest of the house from top to bottom, even looking in the roof of the house, once again gave him nothing. That left him one option; to find Gaz and ask him to make a Geno doll.

Sighing with resignation, Master Hand gathered up energy, and warped away from the ruined town to his next destination.

* * *

A lone star wandered through the bright field of wishes that illuminated Star Hill. His name was Geno, the name he had once went by 12 years ago and decided to adopt as his actual name shortly after.

Geno smiled at the large amount of wishes that dotted the landscape, wishes that he had been more than happy to grant throughout the last decade.

However, Geno secretly missed the life of an adventurer. Traveling with Mario, Mallow, Bowser, and Princess Toadstool had been some of the best months of his career as a lesser Star Spirit.

From what he had last heard, Mario was a world recognized name who was a celebrity in every region he stepped in, Mallow had become the king of Nimbus Land, which saw a massive economic boost once he had figured out how to create fertile soil in the clouds, Bowser was a feared and revered ruler who ruled the Koopa Kingdom with an iron fist, and Princess Toadstool had successfully rebuilt her kingdom in the aftermath of the Smithy Gang's attack and regularly held sporting events.

Those days were a wild adventure, but they were now just old memories he liked to hang on to while everyone else had moved on.

Sighing, Geno made his own wish:

_"I wish to go on more adventures with Mario and his friends."_

A tiny Wish Sprout blossomed on Star Hill.

* * *

In Toad Town, Master Hand, now disguised as a Toad, had walked into Gaz's workshop and dinged the little bell on the front table.

Gaz walked out from his shop in the back, and greeted Master Hand enthusiastically, saying, "Hello, and welcome to Gaz's Toyshop! What would you like for me to make you?"

Master Hand immediately answered, "A Geno doll."

Slightly taken aback, Gaz repeated, "A Geno doll? I'll be right on it."

Master Hand then added on, "An  _original model_ Geno doll, please."

Now Gaz stopped in his tracks. It had been years since he had made one of those, and they were among one of the most obscure toys he had ever produced, with him having stopped production on them roughly eight years ago, only doing them on request for an exorbitant sum of money. Gaz then reluctantly said, "Well, if you insist…" and then walked into his workshop, carrying all of the necessary materials with him.

* * *

As Master Hand began to check his watch once more out of boredom, the workshop door opened, and Gaz exclaimed, "Done!"

Gaz set out a Geno doll that looked exactly like the one he had made 12 years ago, complete with built-in firearms.

"That'll be 700 coins, this doll isn't cheap to make."

Master Hand took the doll and placed a large bag of gold coins onto the counter before walking into a secluded area of town, then teleporting away to Star Hill.

* * *

As Geno wandered around the bottom of Star Hill, a large wormhole appeared close to the entrance. Assuming a defensive stance as best as he could, being a star and all, he stared in bafflement as a large hand came out of the vortex.

"Who are you, and what is your purpose at this sacred hill?"

Master Hand pulled out his briefcase and said, "I simply wish to return this to you."

Master Hand took the Geno doll out of his briefcase and floated it over to the star, who stared at it in awe, before vanishing into the doll. Golden light washed over the little puppet, which then began to autonomously stand up.

Geno stood up in his "new" body, saying, "I admit, I forgot how nice it was to actually have hands…"

Master Hand let out a low chuckle, before saying, "I take it you wish to go on another adventure?"

Geno stopped moving. How did this hand know his wish? Shrugging it off, he said, "Yes, actually. It's been quite some time since my last one."

Master Hand continued, "Well, I am hosting the Super Smash Brothers tournament, a fighting competition filled with warriors from around the world, and Mario, the Princess, and Bowser are among the competitors."

That alone had sold the little puppet, who then said, "Alright, I'm in."

Master Hand passed him an envelope, saying, "Welcome to the Super Smash Brothers tournament, Geno. I will create a portal directly to the Mansion, as you and the last two newcomers I have to find were rather late picks."

Master Hand created a wormhole and then vanished into thin air.

Geno stepped through the portal, and he immediately received a blue-and-orange card with the number 71 scrawled on it.

A large arrow pointed Geno to the Newcomers' Building, which he walked to in anticipation of seeing Mario and company again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, it's a damn shame that Square and Nintendo have never worked on a project that was at Super Mario RPG's caliber since.


	17. The Earth-Shaking Warrior of Vale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Golden Sun's power had revitalized the land of Weyard, but it came at a cost. Isaac, one of the eight Warriors of Vale, was sent to investigate a particularly abnormal disturbance in his ruined hometown of Vale.

Isaac sighed as he sheathed his Gaia Blade. It had been three years since he, Garet, Ivan, Mia, Jenna, Felix, Sheba, and Piers had bested the Doom Dragon (which turned out to be his father as well as Jenna and Felix's parents) on top of the Mars Lighthouse in Prox and restored Alchemy to the world. The Golden Sun had revitalized all of Weyard, bringing life back to the dying land, but not without numerous side effects.

There had been many natural disasters in the last three years, including a massive tidal wave that had wiped out the town of Izumo, along with reports of humans turning into beasts, and vice versa. There was also the mystery of the Psynergy Vortexes, which Kraden had theorized to be an aftereffect of the unleashing of the Golden Sun as a countermeasure to the surplus Alchemy that flowed in the land.

Regardless, for Isaac, life wasn't that bad. After the destruction of Vale, his family moved into Kalay, along with Garet's and Jenna's, and he was even in a relationship with the latter. Felix, however, had mysteriously left a year ago and had not been seen since.

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, Isaac remembered why he was sent to his old hometown by Kraden: to investigate an abnormally large Psynergy Vortex that had appeared in the area.

As he stepped into the ruins of Vale, Isaac had heard a large whoosh coming from where Jenna and Felix's house once stood. Now very curious, he ran to where the noise had come from, only to find nothing.

Confused, Isaac stepped further into the town and began to investigate.

* * *

Master Hand, now at the base of Mount Aleph, snapped his fingers in annoyance upon the realization that he had missed the Venus Adept by that much.

* * *

Isaac was about to leave after not finding anything until he heard a loud crack coming from where Mt. Aleph once stood. After hearing a loud thud from the same location, he ran to where the noises had come from.

* * *

As Master Hand was massaging his wounds from punching the face of Mt. Aleph in frustration, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. Master Hand, after hearing the person yell, "Anyone in there? It's dangerous, so leave!" he knew it was Isaac, so he put on the shades, reverting to his human disguise, and tried his best to look casual, which wasn't easy with his outfit.

Isaac ran up to the figure that stood there, asking, "How and why did you find the ruins of Vale?"

"I would ask you the same question."

Isaac replied, "Classified business."

Master Hand, frustrated with not receiving a straight answer, decided to read Isaac's mind.

_"Abnormally large Psynergy Vortex was spotted around Mt. Aleph... if the first few were any indication, this'll be very draining on the land..."_

Now knowing Isaac's motives, Master Hand said, "I can show you to the Psynergy Vortex if you wish."

That got Isaac's attention.

"Really?"

"I can! It's a little dangerous, though..."

"Well, if you say so..."

Isaac followed the mysterious man, now highly suspicious about the fact that he had known about Psynergy Vortexes, but willing to follow if there really was a Psynergy Vortex behind the mountain.

The man's voice snapped Isaac out of his thoughts.

"We're here!"

Isaac paled as he looked up at the massive blob of anti-Psynergy, which quickly changed to confusion as it began to shrink. The mysterious man had snapped his fingers, and the vortex shrunk into nothingness.

Now incensed, Isaac unsheathed his sword, pointed it at the man's throat, and snarled, "So, you're doing this as a joke, huh? Who are you allied with, and what is your purpose here in Weyard?"

The man's shades had been knocked off in the small commotion, which revealed his eyes to Isaac. They were unlike any he had ever seen, with them being pitch-black with white lines running through them, with the vertical line slightly off to the left, and the horizontal line closer to the bottom of the circle. The man began to emit a bright light, and Isaac shielded his eyes.

What appeared before him was someone Isaac hadn't seen in 4 years.

Master Hand floated in front of the Adept before grumbling, "Well, there goes the surprise."

Isaac, now re-sheathing his sword, asked, "But why are you here now?"

Master Hand said, "Well, Isaac, there's a new Super Smash Brothers tournament on the horizon..."

"So you've come back to make me an Assist Trophy again?"

Master Hand recoiled before saying, "I never make personal appearances to those who'll be anything less than a fighter when it comes to the recruitment process, so that leaves you only one option, then."

Isaac stared in shock. That could only mean...

Master Hand handed an envelope to Isaac, saying, "Welcome to the Super Smash Brothers tournament, Isaac. Please step through the vortex on your left."

Isaac looked at the swirl of dark energy next to him, and Master Hand laughed and said, "Oh, don't worry, this one isn't a Psynergy Vortex. I will move your family and friends to the town outside the Mansion, too."

Nodding, Isaac stepped through the portal, and a little card with the number 72 appeared in his hand. Looking to his right, Isaac saw a building that read, "For Newcomers."

Excited, the Venus Adept ran towards the building.

* * *

Meanwhile, Felix woke up to find himself back in his own house.

_"What the hell happened when I was asleep?"_

Jenna ran up to him, animatedly saying, "Felix, you gotta come outside! We're not in Weyard anymore!"

Felix walked outside, and he realized Jenna was right. In fact, the Warriors of Vale had all stepped out of the houses near them with similar looks of confusion, with the exception of Isaac, even though both Kyle and Dora stepped out of a house.

Felix blankly uttered, "Can I go back to sleep now, please?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like father, like son. If you don't understand what I mean, then you'll find out around Chapter 19.


	18. Spiral Mountain's Star Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banjo and Kazooie, Master Hand's final targets, go through a routine check on Gruntilda's lair.

"Hey! Wake up, Banjo!"

Groaning as he got out of bed, Banjo looked at his backpack, which contained his mouthy Breegull companion, Kazooie, and strung it over his shoulders before grabbing his Game Boy off the table. Being the new owner of Spiral Mountain was... interesting, to say the least. At least it was an easy job, as all he really needed to do was just occasionally check up on Gruntilda's wrecked lair to make sure that the witch didn't return.

And today was that day.

As the duo set off towards the ruined lair which was shaped like the head of the titular witch, a mysterious figure watched them from the shadows. As soon as they were out of his line of sight, Master Hand checked his briefcase for the envelope and pulled it out. How come these two were so hard to find compared to everyone else? Even Snake hadn't been that difficult to locate.

He vaguely remembered meeting the two roughly 10 years ago shortly after the end of the first tournament at the behest of Mario and Donkey Kong, but they then mysteriously vanished without a trace. Shame too, because they had seemed like a shoe-in for the next tournament. And now, he finally had a second shot at finding and recruiting them.

Master Hand spied a mailbox right in front of their house. Deciding that he could make up for the incident back in Vale, he quietly slipped the envelope into their mailbox, and decided to wait until the duo got back from whatever errand they were running.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside Gruntilda's lair, Banjo and Kazooie had split up and were doing a thorough search of the place to make sure that the old hag hadn't returned. Kazooie checked the interior of the head, while Banjo pulled his plane out of a compartment in Gruntilda's hat on the outside and decided to check the skies and the tower where he and Kazooie had first clashed against the witch. As Banjo took flight, he couldn't help but be reminded of that time where he, Diddy Kong, and that foul-mouthed squirrel had saved Timber's Island from Wizpig. He wondered what Diddy could possibly be doing right now, as he had last heard that Conker had become a king, but that was 8 years ago.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Smash Mansion, Diddy Kong sneezed.

* * *

As Banjo began searching Spiral Mountain for Gruntilda, he looked down from his plane and saw a mysterious shadow watching his house. Concerned for Tooty's safety, he flew back to the large head and ran back in.

Right around the same time, Kazooie had finished her search of the castle, and she had found no trace of the witch, so she ran up to where she and Banjo had agreed to meet, only for the bear to crash right into her.

Before Kazooie could get too riled up, she heard Banjo say, "C'mon Kazooie, we gotta go! There's someone looking to break into our house!"

That got Kazooie's attention. Immediately hopping back into Banjo's backpack, she freed her legs and hightailed it out of there, with Banjo holding onto the straps for dear life.

* * *

Master Hand was starting to get bored waiting for the two, as he had a speech to give to the Smashers soon. Before he could snap his fingers and warp the duo over, however, he heard a bird start squawking louder and louder before coming to a screeching halt right at the door. Master Hand decided to remain hidden for a little bit longer.

"Banjo, are you sure that you saw someone around here?"

"Kazooie, I coulda sworn I saw 'em right there!"

Kazooie looked to where Banjo was pointing, only to find nothing. Lightly slapping Banjo on the back with her wing, she said, "Eh, what does it matter, you probably saw a really big lump, like 'ol Bottles or something! Whaddaya say that we relax for the rest of the day? After all, I found no trace of that hag in the castle."

Banjo gave a slightly more cheerful nod, and was right about to walk in until he noticed that he had mail. Opening the mailbox, he found a single envelope and nothing else. As Banjo opened the envelope, Kazooie peered over his shoulder to see what it said. The letter read;

_To Banjo and Kazooie of Spiral Mountain,_

_Congratulations! The two of you have been selected to fight in the Super Smash Brothers tournament as a cohesive unit. Please look at the back of the letter for your Fighter Pass._

_Sincerely,_

_Master Hand_

_P.S.: Welcome home._

Banjo turned the letter around and sure enough, the card the letter had mentioned was on the back, with a 73 engraved on it.

An unknown voice behind them said, "I suppose you want an explanation for this…"

The duo whirled around to see a large right hand floating right in front of them. Before either of them could say anything, the hand laughed, "So  _you're_ the people Diddy keeps talking about at the Mansion!"

The bird and bear exchanged touched glances. Diddy had remembered them, even after 13 years? Before they could dwell on it further, however, the hand continued, "To the two you, have you ever heard of the Super Smash Brothers tournament?"

Banjo, after a bit of thought, said, "There was that one time 10 years ago, but other than that, not really…"

"Spiral Mountain is a very hard place to find, Banjo. I imagine it's because of the witch's enchantments…"

Kazooie interrupted the two of them, saying, "Okay, finger-face, we've heard enough. How do we get to this tournament?"

Master Hand, a little irritated, curtly finished, "The portal's on your left. Once you step through, the final destination's on your right, it's the big building with 'For Newcomers' on the face of it."

Banjo and Kazooie stepped through the vortex, and Master Hand vanished back to the Mansion.

* * *

The duo followed the hand's directions, and found themselves in front of the building he had described. Scanning their pass on the door, the two walked in to see a batch of very unusual people.

There were two teenagers with the features of squids, a massive alien that looked like a mix between a zombie, a bat, and a dragon, a man in a leather outfit holding a whip, a comically obese crocodile wearing a crown (Banjo couldn't help but feel that he looked familiar), a small dog holding a checklist, a large red and black tiger with a fiery belt, a small puppet dressed in a blue cape and cap, and a blonde young man with a sword across his back growing a potted plant with some mysterious light.

Every person in the room regarded the two with confusion.

King K. Rool broke the silence by saying, "Why, it's been forever since I've seen the two of you! I can't help but wonder how that old hag Grunty's doing right now…"

Before Kazooie could say anything, she heard a threatening snarl come from the alien in the back.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you say it to my face, space-bat?"

As Ridley began to charge a ball of plasma in his mouth, a rough uppercut to his jaw from Simon stopped him from pursuing any further action. Turning to the bear, he said, "I'm Simon Belmont, nice to meet you."

Banjo shook the man's hand, saying, "Nice to meet you too, guh-huh!"

Before Isaac and Geno could say anything, the intercom sounded, "All newcomers, please report to the auditorium's backstage in the Smash Mansion."

One by one, the new Smashers filed out of the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the finale!


	19. Finale: Everyone is HERE!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the veterans situated, the Newcomer Ceremony begins.

The auditorium was currently in a jovial state, with the Mario brothers cracking jokes with Red and Leaf, Young Link offering some Lon Lon Milk to Link, Pichu curling up in Snake's lap, who was currently shooting the breeze with Cloud, and Wolf and Wario, the latter of whom was unusually wearing his overalls, laughing over tales of their own exploits in the last three years (unbeknownst to Wolf, Wario had picked his pocket in the middle of his story about the Aparoids). A large crack resounded through the room, and every Smasher returned to their seats and fell silent.

Master Hand entered the room, and boomed out, "Smashers, welcome! Tell me, did you like the surprise I had planned?"

Cheers filled the room.

Chuckling, Master Hand continued, "I'm fairly sure you're eagerly awaiting the newcomers to this tournament, so without further ado, let us get started!"

* * *

All of the newcomers had heard the hand's announcement, and were anxiously waiting in the backstage area, with the exception of Ridley, who was lurking in some corner elsewhere.

* * *

"These newcomers come from an entirely new world, a world inhabited by sea creatures who hold contests called Turf Wars purely for sport. Please welcome... The Inklings!"

Meggy and Evan leaped out from behind the curtain and landed in a three-point stance, to raucous cheers from the audience. With their confidence increasing, the two of them reenacted a short Turf War skirmish, finishing with a flourish.

As Master Hand directed them to their seats, he cleared his throat. Samus wouldn't be too happy with this next one, but he stuck with his guns and proceeded with the next announcement.

"This newcomer was an incredibly popular request from the media and the public for the last decade or so. In the past, we've had to reject him because of his sheer size. But now that it's no longer an issue..."

Samus gaped in horror. He hadn't...

"Ladies and gentlemen... RIDLEY!"

A loud screech sounded throughout the auditorium, causing some Smashers to cover their ears, and Ridley swooped down from his hiding place onto the stage, to scarce applause coming from Bowser.

After letting out a triumphant screech, he turned to Samus with a smirk and hissed, "Not too big anymore!"

Samus buried her face in her hands as Ridley swooped over to the seat next to her. Master Hand then continued, "Our next newcomer is part of a bloodline who swore to fight against the dark of the night. I present to you... Simon Belmont!"

Simon slid through the curtains and brandished his whip to massive applause, with the cheering from Mega Man and Pit being the loudest of all, and Snake applauding in a sightly more enthusiastic fashion than earlier.

As Simon took a seat next to Mega Man, who he regarded with a slight handshake, Master Hand continued the announcements.

"Another popular request for the last decade plus, this one was a bit of a royal pick... KING K. ROOL, ladies and gentlemen!"

The overweight Kremling king floated down from the rafters using his helicopter pack, and was met by reluctant applause from Bowser and Wario, and a mixture of shock and fury from the two Kongs, who were surprised to see him after so many years. K. Rool proudly slapped his belly and sauntered off the stage to where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were sitting, both of whom met him with hostile glares as K. Rool laughed triumphantly.

Master Hand looked down at his paper, announcing, "This newcomer saw a sudden rise in popularity in the last three years, and she's actually helped us a ton in setting up for both this and the previous tournament. I present to you... Isabelle!"

Isabelle hopped from out behind the curtain to loud cheers and squeals of delight from most of the female Smashers, while Villager sat in his seat with a look of pride on his face, applauding all the while.

As Isabelle sat down next to the mayor, Master Hand continued, "This newcomer will give you a taste of his fiery fighting spirit... Incineroar!"

The Heel Pokémon burst through the curtains and posed to the applause of the other Smashers in the audience, before running over to its seat next to Greninja and Lucario, the latter of whom he greeted with a fist bump. Greninja quietly shook Incineroar's hand afterwards.

A little Piranha Plant waddled onto the stage, and Master Hand looked at it before realizing that it was the plant he had tasked Isaac with growing. Among everyone's confusion, Master Hand announced, "This Piranha Plant is joining the battle as a surprise Smasher!"

The Original 12, save for Samus and Donkey Kong, who were both glaring daggers at their rivals, burst into raucous laughter, with Mario's laughter being the loudest of all. Bowser, in the middle of his applause, asked, "What's so funny, plumber?"

Piranha Plant waddled off the stage and jumped onto the seat next to Bowser and his son, both of whom greeted him with a pat on the head.

After the last of the chuckles had subsided, Master Hand continued, "Hailing from Star Road... Geno!"

Mario and Bowser gave each other a high five as the puppet stepped onto the stage and fired some stars from inside his arm. Peach enthusiastically cheered for the puppet, elated to see him for the first time in 12 years.

Geno then took a seat next to Mario, who shook his hand, saying, "It's-a so good to see you again!"

As Geno smiled, Master Hand continued with the announcements, saying, "From Weyard, one of the warriors who was chosen to save the world by unleashing Alchemy through the Golden Sun, Isaac!"

The blonde Adept stepped onto the stage to modest applause (mostly from Mario), and cast a Clay Spire covered in Mad Growth before casting Ragnarok to destroy the construct. Only then did most of the others begin to applaud.

Master Hand, now at the closing part of the first part of his speech, finished, "Our last newcomer is remembered fondly by some of the veterans, but many of you may have never heard of them before this."

A drumroll sounded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Smashers of all ages… BANJO AND KAZOOIE!"

The duo hopped out of the hole in the stage that Isaac had created with his powers and posed for the audience. Cheers and applause came from Mario and Donkey Kong's groups, with Diddy Kong being the loudest of all.

As Banjo and Kazooie walked down the aisle, Diddy Kong ran up to the two. Banjo fist bumped the monkey before taking a seat next to Snake.

Master Hand then said, "Now, I understand that you're anxious about going to eat something, but please listen for just a bit longer. Fighters like Lucina and Dark Pit have now been classified as Echo Fighters, which is to say, fighters that share many traits with another fighter on the roster."

A dark vortex opened behind Master Hand, who then said, "Please welcome the Phazon phantom, Dark Samus!"

Samus' dark doppelgänger floated over to Samus and Ridley, the latter of whom nervously scooted his chair over at the sight of the construct of Phazon, while Samus had a look of unbridled fury in her eyes.

Eager to announce the next Echo and diffuse the situation, Master Hand said, "Hailing from Sarasaland, Princess Daisy!"

Daisy leaped out from behind the curtain and struck a pose, exclaiming, "Oh yeah! Daisy's here to bust some heads!"

Most of Mario's group applauded, but Luigi was celebrating like he had just won the Striker Cup. Mario and Peach hugged Luigi, who had broke down sobbing in joy.

As Daisy ran down to join Mario, Peach, and Luigi, Master Hand continued, "The Exalt of Ylisse, Chrom!"

Chrom ran off the stage and met Lucina and Robin, who had jumped out of their seats in joy, all of them holding each other in a tight embrace. Marth meanwhile smiled widely, as it gave him pride to see yet another descendant of his in the Smash tournament, whilst Ike, Roy, and Corrin smiled politely.

Now that the three of them were seated, Master Hand said, "Now, please welcome one of the descendants of the Belmont clan, Richter!"

Simon looked up in surprise. He had a descendant?

On cue, Richter jumped onto the stage to polite applause. Simon stared long and hard at the whip in Richter's hand, confirming that it was indeed a Belmont whip. Richter took a seat next to Simon, who he regarded with a handshake, saying, "It's nice to meet you... granddad?"

Simon gave a nod, and motioned for Richter to look up at the stage.

"One of Gouken's disciples and the master of the Assassination's Fist, Ken Masters!"

Ken jumped onto the stage and posed for the crowd, who gave him a thunderous round of applause, Ryu's being the loudest of all. Ken took a seat next to Ryu, and the two started to shoot the breeze.

Master Hand finished by announcing, "Finally, one of the Warriors of the Eclipse, the son of Isaac and Jenna, Matthew!"

A blonde teenager who looked incredibly similar to Isaac stepped out from behind the curtain. Matthew, decked out with the gear that he had stopped the Grave Eclipse in, nervously scanned his surroundings, pulled out the Sol Blade, and prepared to unleash a Megiddo before Master Hand whispered to him, "Please don't destroy the auditorium."

Matthew, flushing with embarrassment, sheathed the Sol Blade and put Flint, Brick, Magnet, Geyser, Torrent, Bolt, and Waft on standby before casting an Inferno. After the massive display of fire and a round of applause, Matthew went and sat in the only seat available, which was next to Isaac. Matthew awkwardly said, "Um, hi... dad."

Isaac shook his son's hand before asking, "So, how's Jenna like in the future?"

Matthew brightened at this, and began telling Isaac stories of when he, Isaac, and Jenna stayed together before Tyrell had broken the Soarwing, taking time to explain the finer details to his father.

Master Hand finally said, "Now that the newcomers have been introduced, it's time for the feast! Smashers, to the dining hall!"

With Yoshi, Kirby, Dedede, and Wario leading the charge, the Smashers filed out of the auditorium to stuff their faces.

Master Hand chuckled with a twinge of pride.

At last, everyone was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking to this wild ride of a story!


	20. Epilogue: A Mysterious Disappearance

Meanwhile, at the dining hall, the Smashers were having a hell of a time, eating and socializing. Mario was talking with Cloud regarding closer contact with the rest of the Smashers, while Cloud, interested in the conversation, politely urged Mario to continue speaking, as he had grown to see the Smashers as a family after his first year in the fourth tournament. Cloud, in the middle of his rice bowl, nodded as Mario went on regarding communication with the rest of the Smashers, especially with the new ones.

Yoshi, Kirby, and King Dedede were having an eating contest, and some of the other Smashers began to place bets over who would last the longest, with most of the money going on Kirby, due to the Smashers' knowledge of the Hypernova.

Isaac and Matthew were having a grand old time talking about their respective quests, Isaac in particular was doubled over with laughter upon hearing that Garet's son had started a long quest all because of a broken glider. After he had finally gotten it all out, Isaac offered to take his son to his friends that helped in his and Felix's quest to unleash Alchemy. Matthew obliged, and the two set off to the outskirts of the Mansion.

Banjo and Geno were talking about their respective experiences, with Kazooie occasionally butting in with a snarky comment. Banjo pulled out his Game Boy and offered it to Kazooie in an effort to continue his conversation uninterrupted.

Ridley and K. Rool had ended up sitting with Bowser and Ganondorf. Midway through his tenth serving of TNT Drumsticks, Bowser got up and went to Junior and the Koopalings, who were playing amongst themselves, mostly to get away from K. Rool.

Wolf, meanwhile, had stolen yet another jug of Lon Lon Milk from the kitchens, and chugged half of the container's contents in record time, while Isabelle and Villager watched with exasperated smiles on their faces.

Samus and Donkey Kong were drowning their sorrows at the bar, both of them furious at the fact that their sworn enemies had gotten into the Smash tournament. They were soon joined by Mr. Game & Watch, who fruitlessly tried to drink something, which went through his body, getting a laugh out of the primate and the bounty hunter. Snake, after finishing a conversation with Captain Falcon, went off to his quarters to spend time with Hal and Sunny.

* * *

Isaac brought Matthew to the array of houses that looked like they came straight out of Vale, and knocked on the door of the middle house. After hearing Jenna yell, "I'll get it!" Isaac gave a smile that read "Brace yourself," to his son.

Jenna opened the door, and when she saw her boyfriend out at the front, she wrapped him in a tight hug before saying, "Isaac, what is this place?"

Isaac chuckled, and responded, "Smashville, last I heard."

Jenna's attention shifted to Matthew, and she asked Isaac, "Who is he?"

At that, Isaac blushed, and awkwardly said, "He's... our son. From the future."

Jenna looked at Matthew again, and she too turned scarlet. Matthew resembled his father a great deal, but had a look of fire in his eyes that only a Mars Adept could have. Jenna then welcomed the both of them into her house, and then immediately called Felix over to see his nephew. Felix, after seeing Matthew, said nothing as he climbed up the stairs to go back to sleep. As Jenna and Isaac began talking to each other at the dinner table, Matthew politely excused himself to go back to the Mansion. Upon returning, he walked over to Villager, and asked, "Pardon me, is there a mail room?"

Villager nodded, and began to give the Adept directions.

* * *

Once the festivities had ended, everyone headed off to bed. Kirby, from his little tree, saw a bright star in the sky.

* * *

The next morning, as the Smashers convened in the hall for breakfast, they all noticed that Master Hand, surprisingly, was not there. They didn't pay it much mind, however, until Fox ran over to Master Hand's office to ask a question, and got no response. Suspicious, the Star Fox leader opened the door, and found no sign of the hand in the office. Fox then noticed a note on his desk, and read it. Fox then ran back into the hall, and the note fluttered to the floor. The note read,  _"To whoever finds this note, tell all the Smashers to meet at the Craggy Outlook."_


	21. The Phantom Thief of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the Game Awards, Joker finds the greatest Treasure of all.

"This is Joker, I've infiltrated the theater."

Ren Amamiya, better known as Joker, the leader of the vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves, was tasked with a mission which specifically said that only he and he alone could partake in: infiltrate the Game Awards show and steal a valuable Treasure. Currently, the theater was in a state of confusion because of their hijacking of the presentation.

Over his comlink, he heard Ryuji exclaim, "Wait, seriously? He went alone to the Game Awards?!"

Ann interjected with, "But it's so far away, why is he there?"

Morgana joined in, saying, "There's only one thing that the Phantom Thieves specialize in..."

Yusuke finished with, "...He's there to steal a treasure! Have you already sent a calling card?"

Morgana continued, proclaiming, "We're not the ones sending a card this time! In fact, we've been invited. Invited to steal the greatest Treasure of all!"

The three of them kept a close eye on Joker to warn him of any security that were nearby. Joker, meanwhile, had found what he was looking for: a small black box. Opening it, he saw an envelope with a wax seal on it that looked like something he had once seen on TV with the others. Joker let out a breath of disbelief, saying, "No way..."

Ryuji butted in, saying, "What did you get, man? Show it to us!"

Joker, with a small smirk, said, "Okay, but promise me you won't scream when you see it."

Joker lifted up his prize, and Ann let out a shrill scream of, "WHHAAAAAAT?!"

Ryuji, in shock, exclaimed, "The Smash Bros. tournament?! Is this for real?! There's no fucking way this is real! Morgana, please pinch me so I can find out if I'm awake or not!"

Morgana obliged all too willingly, before excitedly saying, "We'll be going against some of the best fighters known to the world! Mario, the living legend! Link, a hero whose legacy spans generations! Samus, the bounty hunter extraordinaire! Can't wait for our fearless leader to show his stuff!"

* * *

Later, after a celebratory dinner (accompanied by Ryuji pretending to Falcon Punch everything in sight), Joker retreated to his quarters to pack and prepare for the tournament. Taking off his mask, his eyes became shrouded in blue fire as he called out, "Persona!"

Arsene appeared behind him in a blaze of blue fire. The Persona uttered, "I am thou, thou art I. Show the strength of my will, and RAGE AGAINST ALL CHALLENGERS!"

With his invite in hand, a dark portal opened up, and Joker stepped through.

* * *

Joker arrived at the Mansion, which, like the town he had stopped at before completing his trek to the large house, was completely devoid of activity. As Joker pondered why, he saw a note, which read:

_"To any and all late newcomers, please use one of the devices on your right to be transported to the Craggy Outlook. We are currently on a mission, and we don't know how long it'll be until we're back. In case you run into a Smasher, keep your envelope on you at all times, as you were not present at the Newcomer Ceremony, and as such, the Smashers may mistake you for an enemy."_

Joker took one of the five devices on the table, and pushed the little black button.

* * *

Joker arrived at the destination, and saw a large, blinding dimensional rift in front of him. Throwing caution to the wind, he jumped in.

* * *

Joker landed in a location that resembled Paris, except with multiple small creatures that he remembered were called 'Pokémon.' In the distance, he heard a chimpanzee screeching, and immediately hid.


	22. The Lumine Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... that's one less chapter I have to write (how I got the number right is beyond me). But anyways, here's Dragon Quest, yet another JRPG series I've never played and probably should one of these days.
> 
> As an aside, I will be using Dragon Quest XI's Luminary (Irebun, as I refer to him as) as the primary source, but Erdrick, Solo, and Eight will also be in the World of Light story.

****In Master Hand's deserted office, one of the five letters he had left behind for future use was blown into a candle by a sudden draft. As the envelope burned away, the letter inside was revealed to be addressed to someone whose name began with an 'S,' and it was reduced to a pile of ashes which fluttered away in the wind. Meanwhile, another one made three more copies of itself, and the four letters vanished from the room.

* * *

Irebun, better known by his title as the Luminary, ran to King Carnelian's palace in Heliodor, for the king had requested a personal audience with him. Hendrik, regarding him with a curt nod, stepped aside, and Irebun walked into the main throne room, where he saw King Carnelian eating a slice of cake. Rolling his eyes in an amused fashion, he addressed Carnelian with a simple, "Your Majesty?"

Carnelian looked up from his meal, and, hurriedly placing it on a table, hastily said, "Ah, Irebun! My apologies, I was simply distracted by this choice slice of cake my cooks made." Looking at the cake, he muttered to himself, "It would be a shame to see it go to waste, though..." Addressing Irebun once more, he asked, "How about we go over this over some food?"

Irebun, having not eaten all day, nodded, and Carnelian took him to the dining room, where a pair of simple meat dishes was waiting for the two of them. Irebun enthusiastically ate the food, and once he was done, Carnelian, having finished his own plate, began with, "So, Irebun, the reason I requested an audience with you is because of... this." Pulling out a letter with a mysterious wax seal, he passed it to Irebun, who opened the letter and began poring over it. Its contents read:

_To Irebun/The Luminary,_

_Congratulations! You have been selected as a fighter for the fifth Super Smash Bros. tournament! Your Fighter Pass is in the back. In the event that I am not presenting this letter to you personally, keep the Fighter Pass and this letter on you at all times._

_I also have several other famous heroes in waiting, and I hope you will accept this offer._

_Sincerely,_

_Master Hand_

Carnelian looked at Irebun, and asked, "Well? Will you take this challenge?"

Looking at the Sword of Light on his back as well as the Sword of Shadows on his belt, Irebun answered, "You know, I've been itching for a good battle for quite a while... I'm in."

Carnelian gave him a nod of understanding, saying, "Very well. Good luck, Irebun." Irebun took the letter, and a vortex opened up. Bowing to Carnelian as a thanks for the meal, Irebun, the Sword of Light in his right hand with his shield in his left, stepped through the portal, which closed up, leaving Carnelian alone in the dining room. As he left the dining room, a strange wave of light and dark energy which had manifested in the sky earlier burst, spreading throughout the world of Erdrea, taking Spirit Orbs from Jade and Erik, among other people.

* * *

Irebun approached the large house in the back of the town, and he knocked on the door. When no one answered, he opened the door and cautiously stepped in, holding the Sword of Light in his hands cautiously. Walking to a nearby table, he saw a small little device with a letter next to it instructing him on how to use it. Pushing the little black button, Irebun found himself out on a cliffside facing a large sphere of dark energy. Holding the Sword of Light above his head, it radiated with a golden light, and Irebun jumped into the portal.

* * *

Irebun landed in a factory which had a sinister air to it. Holding out the sword, which glowed with a golden light, he walked throughout the factory until he saw something roll next to him, and he threw up his shield in response. The Remote Bomb exploded, and Irebun, switching blades to the Sword of Shadows, pointed it at the threat who came out of the darkness.

Link, the Master Sword in one hand and his Hylian Shield in the other, asked, "Who are you?"

Irebun then remembered that he had the envelope and the card from earlier, and he passed them to Link, who gave Irebun a suspicious look as he looked through the contents of Master Hand's letter and the pass, which was purple and brown with a 75 on it. Nodding in confirmation, Link passed them back to Irebun before apologizing with, "Sorry, we've just been on edge lately, considering we just had to ward off an ambush." Holding out a hand, he continued, "I'm Link, it's nice to meet you..."

Irebun finished with, "...Irebun's my name, but you can just call me the Luminary."

"Very well then, Irebun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note to self: Play Dragon Quest XI when it comes to the Switch.


End file.
